Nursing Practical Guideline: Giving medicines by mouth

Giving medicines by mouth:

Oral administration is the most commonly used method of giving medicines. It is the most simple and economical method.

Articles required:

1.     Bowl of clean water.

2.     Drinking water in a container.

3.     Measuring glasses.

4.     Glass rod to mix medicines (or a spoon in the home)

5.     Small motar and pestle to crush tablets.

6.     Towel to wipe the medicine bottles and medicine glasses

7.     Medicine glasses.

8.     Small container or spoon to carry tablets.

Procedure:

Written orders for medicines to be given (charts or medicine cards)

Give your full attention to this work.

Read the orders, find the medicine and check that what is written on the label agrees with the medicine ordered.

Shake the bottle before pouring a mixture. Hold the bottle with label on the upper side.

Hold the measuring glass in your other hand so that the mark of the amount ordered is at the eye level, while pouring the medicine. Pour the exact amount carefully.

Wipe the mouth of the bottle, replace the cork and read the label again while replacing the bottle.

Pour the dose into the medicine glass and administer to the correct patient.

If the drug is in tablet, pill or capsule form put them into a small container with spoon or paper.

Tablets may be powdered by crushing in the motar and pestle if necessary give water before and after putting the powder into the patient' s mouth.

Always give medicines you have prepared yourself. Offer medicine to the patient followed by water to drink. Stay with the patient until the medicine is swallowed. If the patient does not take the medicine, inform the medical officer.

Record medicines only after you have given them and never before. The person who gave the medicine must record it herself and initial it.

Leave all the articles clean and in order.

In the villages when you give a bottle of mixture or pills etc to any one make sure that they understand how and where to keep them. For example TID means medicines should be taken one dose in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night. QID means four doses each day, one in the morning, one at mid-day, one in the evening and one at night.

When giving aspirin, iron pills or vitamin pills tell the person to take it together with or soon after meals to avoid stomach upset.

Antacids are better taken when the stomach is empty.

Giving medicine to children:

Take great care in measuring the correct dose.

Liquid medicines should have a syrup base or made sweet by mixing it with honey or sugar.

Tablets should be crushed for easy swallowing. Never mix the medicine in milk or food as the child may develop a dislike for the food.

The child should be sitting or have the head and shoulders raised. The medicines may be given by the mother or by a nurse who has won the confidence of the child.

Never destroy the child' s trust by saying the medicines tastes well if it does not.. If the child takes the medicine well praise him. Never hold the child' s nose nor use force as the child may aspirate the medicine. Encourage the child to drink by himself or herself or to hold the spoon along with you.

Report to the doctor if the child always struggles and refuses a certain medicine or vomits it.

The important points to be remembered are as follows

Right patient

Right drug

Right dose

Right time

Right route

Right recording.