Parenteral describes a route of administering a medicine or other substance by a method that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, usually through injection or infusion.
Common parenteral routes include intravenous (into a vein), intramuscular (into a muscle), and subcutaneous (under the skin) administration. These routes can be useful when a medicine must act quickly, cannot be reliably absorbed through the digestive system, or cannot be taken orally.
The specific route matters because it affects how quickly a medicine enters the circulation, how it is absorbed, and what risks are associated with administration.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Intravenous: a specific parenteral route in which a substance is administered directly into a vein.
- Oral: a route in which a medicine is taken through the mouth and passes through the gastrointestinal tract.
- Enteral: Enteral administration involves the gastrointestinal tract, such as swallowing a medicine or delivering it through a feeding tube into the digestive system.
SEE ALSO
