Directions for administration of capsules
| IMPORTANT! - Never leave medication drawn up into a syringe unattended. Never give the syringe to someone else to administer to the patient. Accidental intravenous administration of oral / enteral medication drawn up in syringes has led to fatalities. |
Hard gelatin capsules - enteral tubes
Prepare the capsule as follows:
1. Gently ease open the capsule to release the powder.
2. Tip the powder into a beaker - be sure to obtain all the powder.
3. Mix the powder with 15-30mL of water.
214,225
4. Draw up the solution in an enteral syringe.
5. Administer the solution through the enteral feeding tube.
6. Rinse the beaker with water, and administer this also.
7. Flush the tube post dose with 10mL of water.
Hard gelatin capsules - swallowing difficulties
Prepare the capsule as follows:
1. Gently ease open the capsule to release the powder.
2. Tip the powder into a beaker - be sure to obtain all the powder.
3. Mix the powder with 15-30mL of water.
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4. Draw up the solution in an oral syringe.
5. Administer the solution to the patient.
6. Rinse the beaker with water, and administer this also.
Modified-release capsules - enteral tubes
Contact Pharmacy for advice. It may be necessary to change to another preparation.
See section on modified-release tablets (see
here). Some modified-release capsules can be opened without losing their modified-release properties (see individual monographs for advice). The beads / granules inside are themselves modified-release, and should not be crushed or chewed.
Modified-release capsules - swallowing difficulties
Contact Pharmacy for advice. It may be necessary to convert to a non-modified-release preparation. Some modified-release capsules contain modified-release beads or granules which can be administered in water or on soft food to patients with swallowing difficulties. There is a risk of giving excessive doses if the beads / granules are crushed prior to swallowing. This method should only be used where it is the best possible option for a specific patient, and only if the patient has the ability and understanding to be able to swallow the water / soft food without chewing.
Soft gelatin capsules e.g. nifedipine - enteral tubes
Method one225
1. Pinprick one end of the capsule with an ENFit enteral needle.
2. Drain out the contents with an enteral syringe.
3. Remove the needle from the syringe.*
4. Dilute if necessary (see individual monographs for advice).
5. Administer through the enteral feeding tube.
6. Flush the tube post dose with 10mL of water.
* Take great care when using needles to prepare doses for oral / enteral administration.
Some of the drug may adhere to the soft gelatin capsule, resulting in a smaller dose than intended being given.
Method two
1. Dissolve capsule in 15-30mL of warm (not hot) water.
2. Remove undissolved gelatin.
3. Draw up the solution in an enteral syringe.
4. Administer the solution through the enteral feeding tube.
5. Flush the tube post dose with 10mL of water.
Soft gelatin capsules e.g. nifedipine - swallowing difficulties
Method one
1. Pinprick one end of the capsule with an ENFit enteral needle.
2. Drain out the contents with an enteral syringe.
3. Remove the needle from the syringe.*
4. Dilute if necessary (see individual monographs for advice).
5. Administer to the patient.
* Take great care when using needles to prepare doses for oral / enteral administration.
Some of the drug may adhere to the soft gelatin capsule, resulting in a smaller dose than intended being given.
Method two
1. Dissolve capsule in 15-30mL of warm (not hot) water.
2. Remove undissolved gelatin.
3. Draw up the solution in an oral syringe.
4. Administer the solution to the patient.
DON'T
. microwave - this will affect the stability of the medication.
