Systemic administration

Systemic administration is a route of administration of medication that results in the active substance being distributed throughout the entire body. This is in contrast to topical administration, which targets a specific area of the body, or local administration, which targets a specific organ or tissue.

Methods of Systemic Administration

There are several methods of systemic administration, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. These include:

• Oral administration: This is the most common method of systemic administration. The medication is swallowed and absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. This method is convenient and non-invasive, but the medication may be affected by stomach acid or food in the stomach.

• Intravenous administration: This method involves injecting the medication directly into a vein. It allows for rapid distribution of the medication throughout the body, but it is invasive and carries a risk of infection.

• Intramuscular administration: This method involves injecting the medication into a muscle. The medication is absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly than with intravenous administration, but it can be used for larger volumes of medication.

• Subcutaneous administration: This method involves injecting the medication under the skin. It is used for medications that need to be absorbed slowly over a long period of time.

• Inhalation administration: This method involves inhaling the medication into the lungs. It is used for medications that need to reach the lungs quickly, such as asthma medications.

Pharmacokinetics of Systemic Administration

The pharmacokinetics of systemic administration involves several stages:

• Absorption: This is the process by which the medication moves from the site of administration into the bloodstream.

• Distribution: This is the process by which the medication is transported throughout the body.

• Metabolism: This is the process by which the body breaks down the medication.

• Excretion: This is the process by which the body removes the medication.

See Also

• Pharmacology
• Drug delivery
• Drug metabolism
• Pharmacodynamics

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