Publication details
Quantitative analysis of drug losses administered via nasogastric tube - In vitro study
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | International Journal of Pharmaceutics |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378517314008801 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.11.065 |
| Field | Pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry |
| Keywords | Nasogastric tube; Intensive care; Dosage forms; Enteral feeding; Drug administration |
| Description | Purpose: Drug administration through nasogastric tube (NGT) is a standard practice but the real amount of the delivered drug is unknown. Therefore, we designed a study to determine the losses of various dosage forms administered by different methods through NGT. Methods: In vitro model was used. Five different administration methods (A–E) and six dosage forms (simple compressed tablets – T/S; film coated tablets – T/FC; enteric coated tablets – T/EC; capsules with powder filling – C/P; capsules containing extended release pellets – C/ER; capsules containing gastro-resistant pellets – C/GR) were investigated. Measurement was repeated six times for each drug-method combination. The overall losses were determined by gravimetry. In method A partial losses associated with each step of drug administration were also determined. Results: Significant drug losses were measured (4–38%). Only methods A (crushing–beaker–syringe–water–NGT) and B (crushing–water–syringe–NGT) were suitable for administration of all tested dosage forms. Method B proved the most effective for all kinds of tablets and C/GR (p < 0.05) and tended to be more effective also for C/ER (p = 0.052) compared to method A. C/P showed minimal losses for both tested methods (B and E). Flushing of the drug through NGT causes major losses during drug administration compared to crushing and transfer (p < 0.05). All methods for intact pellets (C–E) were found inappropriate for clinical practice due to NGT clogging. Conclusions: Choosing a suitable administration method can significantly affect the amount of drugs delivered through NGT. |