Medical imaging technologists can apply several types of drug administration. Medical workers follow the rule of five “R,” namely right patient, right drug, the right amount, right time, and right route, to predict complications and avoid errors (Jensen & Peppers, 2006). Oral administration, when drugs are delivered by mouth, is one of the most convenient, safest, and economically beneficial routes (Hua, 2019). Its additional advantages are easy retrieval before its full dissolution and absorption. The disadvantages include an objectionable odor that leads to problematic swallowing, possible teeth damage, gastric mucosa irritation, and vomiting.
The rectal route of drug administration is defined as one of the alternatives to oral administration. It is characterized by the absorption of drugs by the rectum’s blood vessels, the environment of which is stable compared to other sections (Hua, 2019). Its main advantages are related to the condition of the stomach (traumatized) and the impossibility of administrating drugs orally. Small children are not always able to take pills, and rectal administration aims to continue treatment. The threats like high bloodstream, unpredictable drug retention, and fluid passing should not be ignored (Jensen & Peppers, 2006). Defecation is not easy to control, and this process may challenge drug translation.
References
Hua, S. (2019). Physiological and pharmaceutical considerations for rectal drug formulations. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10. Web.
Jensen, S. C., & Peppers, M. P. (2006). Pharmacology and drug administration for imaging technologists (2nd ed.). Mosby Elsevier.