NURS 5334 TOPIC AUTHORITY & PREP
DOCUMENT SECURE RESULT 2026
⫸ Factors Affecting Drug Absorption. Ans: Rate of dissolution
Surface Area
Blood Flow
Lipid Solubility
pH Partitioning
⫸ Routes of Administration: Intravenous (IV). Ans: Advantages:
Instaneous absorption, rapid onset
Disadvantages: Expensive, invasive, inconvenient
⫸ Routes of Administration: Intramuscular (IM). Ans: Advantages:
Rapid Absorption with water soluble drugs
Capillary membrane easy to pass
Permits use of poorly soluble drugs
Disadvantages: Not comfortable to patient, inconvenient, potential for
injury
⫸ Routes of Administration: Subcutaneous (SQ). Ans: Same as IM
,⫸ Routes of Administration: Oral. Ans: Advantages: Easy, Readily
available, inexpensive
Disadvantages: Variability in dosing, slow/variable absorption, some
inactivation by gastric acid/enzymes, may cause nausea/vomiting,
patient must be awake and able to take
⫸ Additional Routes of Administration. Ans: -Topical
-Transdermal
-Inhaled
-Rectal
-Vaginal
-Direct site injection
⫸ Blood Flow to Tissues. Ans: Determines rate of delivery
Carried by blood to tissues and organs
Abscesses and tumors have low regional blood flow, pus-filled
pockets versus internal blood vessels, some solid tumors will have a
limited blood supply - these concerns will affect therapy
⫸ Exiting the vascular system. Ans: Pass between capillary cells
rather than through them
, Most drugs do not act within blood, but on specific site cells - must
leave bloodstream in order to do so
⫸ Blood Brain Barrier. Ans: Tight junctions prevent free diffusion
Only lipid-soluble drugs or those with a transport system will cross
blood-brain barrier to a therapeutic degree
⫸ Placental drug transfer. Ans: Placenta membranes not an absolute
barrier - diffusion is same as other membranes
Risks: birth defects, drug-dependent baby with maternal drug abuse
⫸ Protein binding. Ans: Can form reversible bond with various
proteins
Albumin - most abundant and important protein
Albumin-bound protein cannot leave bloodstream restricting drug
distribution
Free drugs "active metabolites"
Two drugs competing for protein binding will result in more free drug
circulating
DOCUMENT SECURE RESULT 2026
⫸ Factors Affecting Drug Absorption. Ans: Rate of dissolution
Surface Area
Blood Flow
Lipid Solubility
pH Partitioning
⫸ Routes of Administration: Intravenous (IV). Ans: Advantages:
Instaneous absorption, rapid onset
Disadvantages: Expensive, invasive, inconvenient
⫸ Routes of Administration: Intramuscular (IM). Ans: Advantages:
Rapid Absorption with water soluble drugs
Capillary membrane easy to pass
Permits use of poorly soluble drugs
Disadvantages: Not comfortable to patient, inconvenient, potential for
injury
⫸ Routes of Administration: Subcutaneous (SQ). Ans: Same as IM
,⫸ Routes of Administration: Oral. Ans: Advantages: Easy, Readily
available, inexpensive
Disadvantages: Variability in dosing, slow/variable absorption, some
inactivation by gastric acid/enzymes, may cause nausea/vomiting,
patient must be awake and able to take
⫸ Additional Routes of Administration. Ans: -Topical
-Transdermal
-Inhaled
-Rectal
-Vaginal
-Direct site injection
⫸ Blood Flow to Tissues. Ans: Determines rate of delivery
Carried by blood to tissues and organs
Abscesses and tumors have low regional blood flow, pus-filled
pockets versus internal blood vessels, some solid tumors will have a
limited blood supply - these concerns will affect therapy
⫸ Exiting the vascular system. Ans: Pass between capillary cells
rather than through them
, Most drugs do not act within blood, but on specific site cells - must
leave bloodstream in order to do so
⫸ Blood Brain Barrier. Ans: Tight junctions prevent free diffusion
Only lipid-soluble drugs or those with a transport system will cross
blood-brain barrier to a therapeutic degree
⫸ Placental drug transfer. Ans: Placenta membranes not an absolute
barrier - diffusion is same as other membranes
Risks: birth defects, drug-dependent baby with maternal drug abuse
⫸ Protein binding. Ans: Can form reversible bond with various
proteins
Albumin - most abundant and important protein
Albumin-bound protein cannot leave bloodstream restricting drug
distribution
Free drugs "active metabolites"
Two drugs competing for protein binding will result in more free drug
circulating
