parenteralnu

Parenteral administration refers to giving substances by routes that bypass the gastrointestinal tract. It encompasses injections and infusions delivered by intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, intrathecal, or intraosseous routes. This method is used when oral intake is not possible, when rapid absorption is needed, or when a drug is poorly absorbed from the gut.

Parenteral therapy requires sterile preparation and specialized equipment, including sterile syringes, needles, IV catheters, infusion sets, and, for IV administration, infusion pumps. Techniques emphasize asepsis, correct dosing, and monitoring for adverse responses such as allergic reactions, infection, phlebitis, or catheter-related complications.

Parenteral nutrition is a major subset of this approach. It delivers carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, electrolytes, vitamins, and trace elements via a central venous catheter or peripheral vein to meet caloric and nutritional needs when the gastrointestinal tract cannot be used. PN requires careful management of fluid balance, glucose load, electrolyte levels, and infection risk.

Indications include postoperative care, critical illness, severe GI disorders, swallowing problems, and when rapid drug effect is essential. Benefits include precise dosing and reliable systemic exposure; drawbacks are invasiveness, infection risk, thrombosis, and higher costs. In general, parenteral administration complements or substitutes enteral feeding or oral medications when needed.

Terminology: in English, the term is parenteral. In some languages, inflected forms such as parenterálnu or parenteralnu appear to indicate the same concept.