VPT 311: General and Systemic Veterinary Pharmacology (2+1)

INTRAVENOUS ROUTE 

Parenteral administration

• While considering parenteral administration, the points of importance include
  • Volume to be administered
  • Concentration of the drug
  • pH
  • Toxicity
  • Viscosity
  • Particle size, if suspension is used
  • Adjuvant used in the preparation
• In general, parenteral administration requires skill of injection and use of sterile equipment. Parenteral preparations are normally used as solutions or suspensions.

Intravenous administration

• Advantages 
  • Extremely rapid onset of action
  • Initial absorption step is bypassed
  • Drug levels can be controlled more accurately
  • Suitable for irritant drugs
  • Suitable for large volumes of drugs
• Disadvantages 
  • Most dangerous route as toxicity can easily occur
  • Drugs must be in aqueous solution
  • Must be performed slowly
  • Once injected, drug cannot be retrieved

Sites for venipuncture in different species

• Cattle, sheep and goat - At any point along the whole length of the jugular vein in the jugular furrow, on the venterolateral aspect of the neck on either side
• Horse - External jugular vein in the jugular furrow only in the cranial part of the neck.
• Pig - Auricular vein
• Dog - saphenous vein on the medial aspect of the leg or recurrent tarsal vein on the dorsal aspect of the leg.