Drug Procedures
As a technician you may be able to administer certain drugs to patients for a number of conditions ranging from high temperature in children to cardiac related problems.
Each Ambulance service will have different guidance as to the drugs that can be administered
Drug administration routes in pre-hospital environment
Enternal Routes
- Oral
- Rectal
- Sublingual
- Buccal
Parenteral Routes
- Intramuscular
- Subcutaneous
- Intravenous
- Endotracheal
- Nebulised
- Intraosseous
Technician Drugs
- Adrenaline
(Epinephrine) 1:1,000
- A natural hormone secreted by the adrenal glands which stimulates both 'a' and 'b' receptors. 'a' receptor stimulation increases peripheral vascular resistance but has no effect on cardiac or cerebral vessels, causes a raise in systolic and diastolic pressures. 'b' receptor stimulation will increase cardiac contractibility and relieve brochspasm in an acute onset of severe asthma. (More)
- Aspirin
- Or acetylsalicylic acid, works on the arterial side of the circulation and reduces clot formation and reduces platelet aggregation. (More)
- Entonox
- Known as 'gas and air'. The gas made up of 50 per cent oxygen and 50 per cent nitrous oxide. Is good in mild to moderate pain. Takes up to a couple of minutes for effects to be felt but the effects wear off shortly after stopping use, so does not mask signs and symptoms which could occur if using another form of pain relief i.e. Morphine. (More)
- Glucagon
- A hormone secreted naturally by alpha cells of the islets of langerhans, located in the pancreas. Used in the event of a hypoglycaemic event where oral glucose cannot be administered. Glucagon mobilises stored glucose in the liver by breaking down glycogen (More)
- Glyceryl
Trinitrate (GTN) Spray
- Used in all cardiac related chest pain where a systolic BP is >90mmHg. GTN is sprayed under the tongue (sublingual). It increases venous pooling and, therefore, reducing wall force, myocardial oxygen demand and heart size. The effects of GTN last approx 30 minutes and is used to treat or prevent an angina attack. GTN has some side effects such as:
- Postural/systemic hypotension
- Tachycardia
- Headache
- Used in all cardiac related chest pain where a systolic BP is >90mmHg. GTN is sprayed under the tongue (sublingual). It increases venous pooling and, therefore, reducing wall force, myocardial oxygen demand and heart size. The effects of GTN last approx 30 minutes and is used to treat or prevent an angina attack. GTN has some side effects such as:
- Hypostop/Glucogel
- A glucose gel of 40%. Its effects reduces hypoglycaemia and brings blood glucose levels up. Used secondary to glucagon administration once a patients GCS has risen or in the conscious patient as a first line of attack
- Naloxone Hydrochloride
- Patients who have taken an overdose of an opiate based drug and have respiratory depression will benefit from this injection as it reverses the effects of the drug. Naloxone has a short half thus the effects of the opoid may repeat. (More)
- Oxygen (More)
- Paracetamol (Usually in Suspension)
- Used for pain relief and for rapidly reducing a temperature. Not to be given if a dose has been administered within four hours and if maximum dose for a 24 hour period has been reached. (More)
- Salbutamol
- Used in the event of an acute onset of asthma, shortness of breath in exacerbation of COPD, wheezing associated with an allergy, anaphylaxis or smoke inhalation, and LVF. (More)
For information regarding the correct dosages and how to administer a specific drug please refer to a copy of your services current clinical practice guidelines.
UK: UK Ambulance Services Clinical Practice Guidelines 2013