Which of the following is NOT a parenteral route of drug administration?

Bihar NHM CHO-2025

Pharmacology

Easy

Appeared in: Bihar NHM CHO-2025

Explanation

The oral route is classified as an enteral route of drug administration.
Enteral administration means the drug is absorbed through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Parenteral administration, by definition, bypasses the GI tract.
Since the oral route utilizes the GI tract, it is the direct opposite of a parenteral route.

Option B: The subcutaneous route is a classic parenteral route. It involves injecting the drug into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract.
Option C: The intramuscular route is a parenteral route. It involves injecting the drug directly into a muscle, which allows for faster absorption than the subcutaneous route due to greater blood supply.
Option D: The transdermal route is a topical, not a parenteral, route. It involves a patch applied to the skin for systemic effects. While it bypasses the GI tract like parenteral routes, it is not administered via injection and is classified separately. However, the oral route is the most definitive non-parenteral option as it is enteral.

Visual 1: Diagram: A diagram illustrating the different routes of drug administration (Oral, Subcutaneous, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Transdermal) showing where the drug enters the body and its path to the bloodstream. This helps visualize the difference between enteral, parenteral, and topical routes.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Routes of Drug Administration helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding the route of administration is critical for nurses as it affects the drug's onset of action, intensity, and duration.
The choice of route depends on the drug's properties, the desired speed of action, and the patient's condition (e.g., a patient who is vomiting cannot take oral medication).
Nurses must be vigilant about the 'rights' of medication administration, including the 'right route'. Administering a drug by the wrong route can lead to ineffectiveness or severe adverse events.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keyword in the question stem. Here, the keywords are 'NOT' and 'parenteral route'.
Define 'parenteral route'. It means any route that is not via the gastrointestinal (enteral) tract, typically involving an injection.
Evaluate each option against this definition.
Option A (Oral): This involves swallowing and absorption via the stomach/intestines. This is the definition of the enteral route, so it is NOT parenteral.
Options B (Subcutaneous) and C (Intramuscular): These are injections that bypass the GI tract, so they ARE parenteral.
Option D (Transdermal): This is absorption through the skin. It bypasses the GI tract but is classified as topical, not parenteral (injection).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Routes of Drug Administration
Stem keywords: drug administration, parenteral route
Lead-in keywords: NOT
Negative lead-in flag: The question asks for the option that is NOT a parenteral route.

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