What is the difference between injection and oral administration?
Nov 24, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Shuwen
Introduction
Injection usually refers to administering medication directly into a person's vein, allowing the drug to quickly and completely reach the targeted areas of the body that require treatment, making it suitable for emergency use. Oral medications, on the other hand, are taken through the mouth and enter the gastrointestinal tract. Since they must be digested and absorbed through the gastrointestinal mucosa before entering the bloodstream to exert their therapeutic effects, their onset of action is relatively slow and thus they are not suitable for emergencies.
The differences between injection and oral administration lie in the route of administration, drug onset time, and emergency treatment efficacy.
1. Different routes of administration
Injections usually refer to delivering medication directly into a patient's vein to achieve therapeutic effects. Oral administration refers to taking medication through the mouth, allowing it to be absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract to exert its pharmacological effect.
2. Different drug onset times
After entering the body through intravenous injection, medications can typically take effect rapidly, quickly achieving therapeutic results; therefore, the onset of action is generally fast. In contrast, oral medications must first be digested and absorbed through the gastrointestinal mucosa before entering the bloodstream and exerting their effects, resulting in a relatively slower onset.
3. Different roles in emergency treatment
Due to the relatively slow onset of orally administered drugs, they are generally unsuitable for emergency situations, such as in patients who are unconscious or mentally impaired. Injected medications, however, can usually reach targeted treatment sites more quickly and completely within the body, and are rapidly absorbed, thereby improving the patient's condition promptly. Hence, injections are commonly used in emergency care.
