Oral administration
Encyclopedia
Oral administration is a route of administration
where a substance is taken through the mouth
.
and sublingual administration, as well as enteral administration and that through the respiratory tract, unless made through e.g. tubing so the medication is not in direct contact with any of the oral mucosa.
Route of administration
A route of administration in pharmacology and toxicology is the path by which a drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body.-Classification:Routes of administration are usually classified by application location...
where a substance is taken through the mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
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Terminology
Per os (P.O.) is an adverbial phrase meaning literally from Latin "by mouth" or "by way of the mouth." The expression is used in medicine to describe a treatment that is taken orally. The abbreviated P.O. is often used on medical prescriptions. P.O. is also occasionally (and grammatically incorrectly; os is a neuter noun of the 3rd declension and thus the accusative is the same as the nominative) rendered per orem, which is sometimes corrupted to per oram.Scope
Oral administration generally includes buccal, sublabialSublabial administration
Sublabial, literally 'under the lip', from Latin, refers to the pharmacological route of administration by which the active substance is placed between the lip and the gingiva....
and sublingual administration, as well as enteral administration and that through the respiratory tract, unless made through e.g. tubing so the medication is not in direct contact with any of the oral mucosa.
Facilitating methods
Concomitant ingestion of water facilitates in swallowing tablets and capsules. If the substance has disagreeable taste, addition of a flavor may facilitate ingestion. Substances that are harmful to the teeth are preferably given through a straw.See also
- Nil per osNil per osNil per os is a medical instruction meaning to withhold oral food and fluids from a patient for various reasons. It is a Latin phrase which translates as "nothing through the mouth". In the United Kingdom it is translated as nil by mouth .Typical reasons for NPO instructions are the prevention...
- List of Latin phrases
- Medical prescriptionMedical prescriptionA prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient. Prescriptions may include orders to be performed by a patient, caretaker, nurse, pharmacist or other therapist....
- List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions