Some medications in the BCEHS pharmacopeia can be administered intranasally. This is a relatively rapid route of delivery that can offer significant safety benefits over parenteral drug administration and may be preferred in some circumstances.
Indications
Contraindications
Procedure
Using a blunt 3 mL syringe, draw up half the dose of medication. Note that the atomizer contains 0.1 mL of dead space: having calculated the volume of medication required for a given dose, draw an additional 0.1 mL into the syringe.
Remove the blunt or fill tip and attach the mucosal atomizer device to the syringe.
Verify that the nostrils are not obstructed by blood or mucous.
If the patient is sitting upright, tilt the patient’s head back slightly. Otherwise, position the patient supine.
Dispense the volume into each nostril; this allows for more effective absorption. The maximum volume per nostril is 1 mL; if higher volumes are required, consider alternative routes of administration.
Repeat procedures 1-5 for the second half of the medication dose. (Drawing up half the dose of medication and administering twice ensures that the medication is delivered at the appropriate speed for proper atomization.)