Question

Paul is a student of IITF. One day, his younger brother who is one year old fell sick. Paul accompanied him to the hospital along with his mother. The doctor gave a medicine which was in the form of a powder and said that water should be added to that powder to prepare a syrup. He said that it has to be consumed within a 5-day period and any leftover syrup should be discarded as it becomes unfit for consumption. On the other hand, when Paul was suffering from high fever, the doctor administered injections. Can you give justification for both the above treatments?

Answer 1

• Some solid forms of medicines are insoluble in water. These medicines when dissolved in water form suspensions.
• Suspensions being very less stable cannot be prepared and stored. Hence, the powders have to be made into suspensions with water and consumed immediately.
• Tablets, capsules, and syrups are taken orally. They contain the drug and drug carrier so that the drug will be released only at the site of action. Before reaching the site of action, the drug has to be absorbed into the blood. Hence, this process takes some time before it starts its action on the particular organ system.
• Injections are directly given into the veins where the drug is absorbed by the blood. Being in liquid form, they start action much earlier than the solid form.
• Therefore, medicines in the form of injections are faster in action than the other formulations.