In cases where medical personnel need to quickly increase the concentration of a drug component in the patient’s body, they resort to a bolus method of administering the active substance. Such an injection consists in the introduction of a large volume of the drug and contributes to the accelerated onset of the action of the drug. A bolus injection is a technique followed often by a dropper, which already helps to gradually transport the remaining required volume of the drug composition into the patient’s tissue. The procedure can be carried out either intravenously or intramuscularly, as well as subcutaneously and intrathecal.
Description of the technique
Understanding what bolus administration of a drug means, it is worthwhile to understand that such a technique for transporting a drug helps to maximize the concentration of the drug used at the end of the manipulation. Later, over time, the concentration level will gradually decline. The measurement of the concentration of the pharmacological composition in the blood plasma immediately after the bolus administration procedure can be used to calculate the volume of drug distribution.
Intramuscular injections
Bolus administration is the method most commonly used to administer classic vaccines when it comes to intramuscular injections. When injected into the muscle, the patient’s body gets time to absorb the incoming drug and produce antibodies to strengthen the immune system.
Also, medications with anesthetic effect, hormonal contraceptives and testosterone can be administered intramuscularly. In most cases, intramuscular injections of a bolus type involve such parts of the human body as the upper shoulder region or upper thigh area. The fact is that these zones are characterized by increased muscle mass, as well as the ability to spread the administered drug on the surface of the muscle.
The introduction of drugs into a vein
Intravenous bolus administration is a technique for transporting a drug directly into a patient's vein. Such manipulations are often performed before the patient is given a dropper, in order to increase the quantitative indicator of the drug in a short time by injection, and then supplement to the desired volume with the drip method. Most often, this chain is used when it is necessary to transport antibiotics and drugs for chemotherapy into the patient's body. An initial bolus injection allows doctors to quickly stop the fever and take control of the infection before the main course of therapy begins.
Subcutaneous bolus injection
In some cases, doctors also resort to subcutaneous bolus administration when it is necessary to achieve drug release. Such injections allow the drug to penetrate through biological membranes gradually, which will provide a lasting result.
This method, for example, is used in the treatment of drug-addicted people in a hospital. The technique will be especially useful when, as a result of drug addiction, human veins become unsuitable for medical injections. Morphine and insulin can also be administered subcutaneously.
Intrathecal administration
Intrathecal bolus administration is the release of a drug directly into the arachnoid membrane of the patient’s spinal cord. The technique is used in many cases, for example, when you need to administer an anesthetic to a woman during childbirth. Also, the procedure is effectively used to administer pain medication and chemotherapy drugs.
Where the bolus injection will be administered depends directly on the goals pursued by the doctor, on the needs of the patient, and also on the desired speed with which the drug should act. The procedure is very effective when you need to provide an ambulance to a person, as well as in situations where cancer or diabetes is being treated. The bolus method of administration allows you to accelerate the onset of the drug, which in some cases determines whether the patient will survive or not.