Oral syringe

For administration via oral syringe, place a 15 mg tablet in an oral syringe and draw up approximately 4 mL of water, or place a 30 mg... 

Porter WR, Bauwens SF. Variation in light transmission properties of amber oral syringes. Amer J Hosp Pharm 1986 43 913-916. 

Eluorescent radiation (900-1000 lux) has no significant effect on the stability of etoposide over 24 hours (48). A ready-to-use etoposide infusion solution was found to be stable for 48 hours, when stored at room temperature unprotected from UV-VIS radiation. In an admixture of etoposide, cytarabine, and daunorubicin for infusion, the content of etoposide declined more rapidly when exposed to UV-VIS radiation (9% after 12 hours), than when photoprotected (3% after 12 hours) (49). Etoposide injection, diluted with water (lOmg/mL) and filled into 5mL plastic oral syringes, was stable for 22 days at ambient temperature and found to be stable under fluorescent radiation (50). 

Home/domestic measures. A standard 5 ml spoon and a graduated oral syringe are available. Otherwise the following approximations will serve 1 tablespoonful = 14 ml (or mL)... 

Health care providers including nurses, pharmacists, and physicians should demonstrate to parents and older children how medications should be administered and offer appropriate dosing devices (oral syringe, dropper, cylindrical medication spoon, or a small-volume doser with attachable nipple) to enable parents to accurately measure liquid products. A household teaspoon or tablespoon should not be used for medication administration because they are inaccurate. Kraus and Stohlmeyer explain the use of a new oral liquid medication delivery system that can be used for infants and young children who still use a bottle for feeding. 

An oral liquid medication needed for an infant or young child should be shaken well, if required, accurately using an appropriate device. If a dropper or an oral syringe is used, the liquid should be administered toward the inner cheek. Administration in the front of the mouth may allow the child to spit out the medication, whereas administration toward the back of the mouth may result in gagging or choking. The oral syringe should be of an appropriate size to allow for administration into the inner cheek. 

If a large dose is required, medicine measures are also available (see Figure 9.11), and for small doses a 1-mL oral syringe is available, although it should be noted that both of these types of measure are often not manufactured to official standards and should be used with care. 

Measure the dose to be administered (an oral syringe is preferable). 

An oral syringe is a compliance aid as it allows for accurate measurement of small doses of liquid medication. The syringe itself is graduated and accompanied by a bung, with a hole in the centre, which fits into the neck of the medicine bottle. 

A simple explanation or demonstration of how to measure liquid medicines would prevent dosing problems. When using instruments such as oral syringes, remind the client and family members to remove the cap in order to prevent injury from swallowing it (Kurtzweil, 1994). 

Remind the client to remove caps from hypodermic or oral syringes, and if not needed throw them away prior to giving the medication to anyone. 

Tu, Y.H. Stiles, M.L. Allen, L.V., Jr. Olsen, K.M. Barton, C.I. Greenwood, R.B. Stability of amoxicillin trihydrate-potassium clavulanate in original containers and unit dose oral syringes. Am.J. Hosp.Pharm., 1988, 46, 1092-1099... 

Oral solutions, emulsions and suspensions are defined as being supplied in single-dose or multidose containers. Each dose from a multidose container is administered by means of a device suitable for measuring the prescribed volume. The device is usually a spoon or a cup for volumes of 5 mL or multiples thereof or an oral syringe for other volumes. 

Most liquid oral medicines are dosed in millilitres. These are measured with a measuring cup (24.4.19.3) or an oral syringe (see Sect. 24.4.16). The volume of the dosage device... 

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