Administering Medication and Care Unit: Animal Science and the Industry Problem Area: Animal Health and Administering Veterinary Care Student Learning Objectives. Instruction in this lesson should result in students achieving the following objectives: 1 Illustrate the methods (topically, orally, and injected), and identify the instruments (multi-dose hypodermic syringe, hypodermic syringe and needle, drench gun, balling gun) used to administer vaccines and pharmaceuticals. 2 Describe the types of injections, and determine the appropriate injection sites. 3 Examine the components of a label found on animal medication, and interpret a veterinarian s prescription. 4 Demonstrate the ability to appropriately administer first aid and apply bandages (pressure and wound). List of Resources. The following resources may be useful in teaching this lesson: Corresponding E-unit(s). Danville, IL: CAERT, Inc. www.mycaert.com List of Equipment, Tools, Supplies, and Facilities Copies of sample test Visuals from accompanying masters Copies of student lab sheet Page 1 www.mycaert.com
Terms. The following terms are presented in this lesson (shown in bold italics): balling guns drench guns epidural (intraspinal) first aid hypodermic syringe and needle injected/injectable intradermal intramammary intramuscular (IM) intraocular intraosseous infusion intraperitoneal (IP) intravenous (IV) multidose hypodermic syringe multiple injections per os (PO) subcutaneous (SQ) topical tourniquet Interest Approach. Use an interest approach that will prepare the students for the lesson. Teachers often develop approaches for their unique class and student situation. A possible approach is included here. Ask a veterinarian or a veterinary technician to be a guest speaker and to demonstrate (with tools) how to properly administer medicine. The veterinarian could also demonstrate how to correctly dress a wound or how to properly bandage an animal. SUMMARY OF CONTENT AND TEACHING STRATEGIES Objective 1: Illustrate the methods (topically, orally, and injected), and identify the instruments (multidose hypodermic syringe, hypodermic syringe and needle, drench gun, balling gun) used to administer vaccines and pharmaceuticals. Anticipated Problem: What methods and instruments are used to administer vaccines and pharmaceuticals? I. Methods and instruments used to administer vaccines and pharmaceuticals A. Methods 1. Topical medicine is administered externally rather than injected or ingested. a. It is usually in the form of a lotion, cream, powder, or solution. b. It is commonly administered to the areas around the ears, nose, or eyes. c. Topical lotions are water based, thin, and absorbed quickly. They are often undetectable after application. d. Topical creams are thicker and are visible on the skin after application. Creams require more time for medicine absorption. Page 2 www.mycaert.com
e. Ointments are the thickest form of topical medication. The medicine is suspended in a greasy substance that remains on the skin until the medicine is absorbed. f. When administering topical medicine, gloves should be worn. Then spread a thin layer of medicine over the wounded area. 2. Oral medicine is administered by the mouth. a. This is the most common way of administering a medicine or drug to an animal. b. Oral drugs can be prescribed to be administered at different intervals and may need to be given before or after food. They can be in liquid or solid form. Questions about the frequency should be addressed by the veterinarian. c. Oral medicine can be taken in the form of a pill or a liquid through a syringe. 3. Injected/injectable medicines are administered into the body with a hollow needle and a syringe. The needle is sharp enough to pierce through the skin, muscle, or vein and allows the medication to exit the syringe sterilely. a. There are many different ways to administer a medicine through injection: intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, intraosseous infusion, and intraperitoneal. b. Before administering the medicine to the animal, make sure the needle is sterile. c. Also make sure the proper dose is given because an overdose can hurt or potentially kill the animal. d. The temperature of materials injected into the animal should be at or below body temperature. If the medication has been chilled, you can roll the syringe between your hands to warm it. e. When making an injection, make sure the area around the injection site is clipped or shaved to prevent the spread of germs into the body. If clipping is undesirable or not possible, thoroughly swab the area with a clean alcohol wipe before injecting. B. Instruments used to administer vaccines and pharmaceuticals 1. Multidose hypodermic syringes These medical instruments are used to inject fluids into the body or draw them from it; they can be used multiple times. a. Syringes consist of a plunder, barrel, and various types and sizes of needles. b. Before filling syringes, the instructions on the medicine bottle should be read carefully. 2. Hypodermic syringe and needles These small syringes are used with hollow needles for injections of material into or beneath the skin. Hypodermic needles are often used to administer insulin to animals with diabetes. Page 3 www.mycaert.com
3. Drench guns These are used to administer calcium, niacin, de-wormers, and other drenches. They squirt liquid between the cheek and teeth so the animals swallow it without the risk of liquid entering the lungs. 4. Balling guns These are used to administer oral medication by use of a long barrel that places the medicine at the back of the throat. They are commonly used in cattle to deliver oral medications in pill form. Ask students to draw their images of balling guns, drench guns, etc. Show pictures of the various instruments, and have students explain how they differ from their perceptions. Use a game show approach to practice using the vocabulary terms. Objective 2: Describe the types of injections, and determine the appropriate injection sites. Anticipated Problem: What are the different types of injections and injection sites? II. Types of injections and the appropriate injection sites A. Types of injections and routes of medication administration 1. Intradermal injections are given into the skin and are used in animals when administering an allergy test just like in humans. 2. Subcutaneous (SQ) injections are given under the skin. They should be given in areas where there is loose skin (e.g., half way up the neck in front of the shoulder). Because of cancer forming at the vaccine sites in cats that received routine vaccines, it is now recommended to give SQ vaccines on the limbs, as far away from the main body as possible. Then if cancer forms, the limb may be amputated to save the animal s life. 3. Intramuscular (IM) injections are given directly into the muscle. a. In cattle, for example, IM injections should always be given in front of the shoulder instead of on the rump because injections leave scars that cause the meat to be condemned at harvesting facilities. The most valuable cuts from a cow are the areas behind the shoulder, so avoiding these areas will preserve the expensive cuts of meat. b. These injections should be given deep into a muscle. The needle should be long enough to penetrate skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fat to reach the muscle. In addition, the needle should enter the skin perpendicular to the skin s surface. It is necessary to pull back on the syringe plunger before injecting the drug to be certain the syringe is in the muscle instead of in a vein. If blood is aspirated, the needle should be redirected. 4. Intravenous (IV) injections are given directly into the vein. Most anesthetic drugs are administered this way to allow a quick response to the medication. a. The vein used depends on the type of animal. Page 4 www.mycaert.com
b. The jugular vein is usually used with horses, cattle, and sheep. The jugular, cephalic, and saphenous veins are used in small animals. 5. Intraosseous infusions are injections directly into the marrow of a bone. 6. Intraocular injections are given under the eyelid, into the cornea, or into the anterior chamber of the eye. 7. Epidural (intraspinal) injections are given directly into the spinal canal to provide pain relief to the hind region if a painful surgery is being performed in that region. 8. Intraperitoneal (IP) injections are given in the peritoneal space or abdominal cavity. These injections are sometimes used to treat dairy cattle that are sick because of calcium depletion. 9. Intramammary injections are given into the mammary glands. These are common in dairy cattle with infections of the udder (mastitis). Antibiotics are given directly into the mammary gland to provide the most direct treatment route. 10. Multiple injections require using different injection sites on the body (e.g. opposite sides of the neck), especially when repeating treatments over a number of days. 11. Per os (PO) is a medication that is given orally. Most medications in veterinary medicine are given orally unless they taste bitter or the animal is unable to eat due to intestinal disease, vomiting, or diarrhea. Another route is used when it will provide more immediate or better relief. B. It is important to remove air from the syringe. After filling the syringe with the product to be injected, the syringe should be pointed upward and the barrel should be tapped to make air bubbles move into the syringe tip. The plunger should be pushed slowly and carefully to eject the air bubbles from the syringe before injecting the product. Have students research (on the Internet) animal injections. For example, <http:/ /www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/articles/general/12_injecting_animals.htm> and <http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:1ibqogtljjsj:www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ ceah/ncahs/nahms/beefcowcalf/chapa/chapainjsites.pdf+veterinarians +giving+injections&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us> provide additional information. Then have students share their findings. Objective 3: Examine the components of a label found on animal medication, and interpret a veterinarian s prescription. Anticipated Problem: What are the components of a label found on animal medication? How is a veterinarian s prescription interpreted? III. It is important to read all of the components of a label found on animal medication and veterinarian s prescriptions. Page 5 www.mycaert.com
A. Label components 1. The label of an animal s medication must clearly list the name of the medicine, the dosage and duration, the expiration date, the warnings (dangers to humans, possible allergies), how to administer the medicine (orally; topically; injection; with or without food; what time of day to administer the medicine; and how often), number of refills, quantity contained in the prescription, the date of treatment, and withdrawal times (if used in an animal raised for human consumption). 2. The prescription must be properly labeled with the patient s name, phone number, and address along with the name of the doctor who prescribed the medicine. B. Veterinarian s prescriptions 1. Veterinary prescription drugs are labeled for use only by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Incidents involving the sale and use of prescription drugs without a prescription should be reported to the proper state authority and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2. Veterinary prescription drugs must be properly labeled before being dispensed. 3. Appropriate administration and treatment records must be maintained. 4. When a doctor prescribes a medicine, he or she should also schedule a follow-up appointment, if necessary. In many cases the patient would not need to return. However, after a major illness or surgery, a veterinarian takes precautions and typically requests a recheck. Use LS A along with VM A and VM B to reinforce this objective. Objective 4: Demonstrate the ability to appropriately administer first aid and apply bandages (pressure and wound). Anticipated Problem: How do you administer first aid? How do you properly apply bandages? IV. The ability to appropriately administer first aid and apply bandages (pressure and wound) properly could save lives. A. First aid is the immediate care or treatment of sick or injured animals until a veterinarian can be found to assist further. 1. Many types of dressings and bandages can be used to cover wounds: gauze, tape, prepared dressings, and cotton. 2. When animals are injured, the wounds must be cleaned and protected so the areas of injury will not become infected or further injured. 3. If the animals could be in shock, unconscious, or bleeding internally, they should be handled with extreme care. Animals in pain may become frightened and try to bite. Page 6 www.mycaert.com
4. Animals in shock are very sensitive and should be kept very still and in areas that are free from distractions until the veterinarian arrives to help. 5. Animals with broken bones should be kept still to reduce pain and further injury; a temporary splint can be made to support the broken bones. 6. If animal eyes are protruding from the eyelids, the eyes should be kept moist with sterile pads and distilled water until the veterinarian arrives. B. Applying bandages 1. Bandages should never be applied too tightly, unless the bandages are pressure bandages. 2. Tape should be applied to secure the bandage and to help prevent the tape from being removed. 3. If animals are bleeding, use bandages rather than a tourniquet, which is a compressing device used to control circulation to an extremity for a period of time. If a tourniquet is used, it must be loosened for a few minutes every hour because total loss of blood flow can cause the structures below the tourniquet to die from a lack of blood supply. 4. Bandages need to be changed regularly, and there are many signs that will determine if a bandage needs to be changed. If the bandage is saturated with pus and wound secretions, the bandaged area is extremely swollen, or the original bandage was improperly applied, a bandage change is necessary. 5. It is also important that all materials used to dress a wound are sterile. 6. When applying a dressing to an animal s leg or foot, the gauze can be wrapped around the leg. However, it may need to be twisted, depending on the contour of the animal s body. To keep the bandage on the animal, it is best to split the gauze at the ends and tie it around the animal s leg. Tape should be used to secure the bandage and gauze. Discuss the first-aid techniques and bandage application methods. Then demonstrate on a live or stuffed animal. Ask for students to try to do it, and then ask what was difficult about the process. Explain that a nervous and fidgety animal makes the process even more difficult. Review/Summary. Use the student learning objectives to summarize the lesson. Have students explain the content associated with each objective. Student responses can be used to determine which objectives need to be reviewed or taught from a different angle. The anticipated problems in this lesson and Checking Your Knowledge in the corresponding E-unit(s) may also be used in the review/summary. Application. Use the included visual masters and lab sheet to apply the information presented in the lesson. Evaluation. Evaluation should focus on student achievement of the objectives for the lesson. Various techniques can be used, such as student performance on the application activities. The sample written test can also be used. Page 7 www.mycaert.com
Answers to Sample Test: Part One: Matching 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. e 5. b Part Two: Short Answer 1. orally, topically, and injection 2. intradermal Part Three: Completion 1. subcutaneous 2. labeled 3. gauze 4. tourniquet 5. oral Page 8 www.mycaert.com
Sample Test Name Administering Medication and Care Part One: Matching Instructions: Match the term with the correct definition. a. intramuscular b. subcutaneous c. first aid d. topical e. injectable 1. The immediate care or treatment of sick or injured animals until a veterinarian can be found 2. A type of injection that is given directly into the muscle 3. A type of medicine that is administered externally 4. Medicine that is placed in the body via a hollow needle and a syringe 5. A type of injection that is given under the skin Part Two: Short Answer Instructions: Complete the following. 1. What are the three main ways to administer medicine to an animal? 2. What is an injection given right into the skin? Page 9 www.mycaert.com
Part Three: Completion Instructions: Provide the word or words to complete the following statements. 1. A(n) injection is an injection just under the skin. 2. Veterinary prescription drugs must be properly before being dispensed. 3. There are many types of dressing and bandages that can be used to cover an animal s wound:, tapes, prepared dressings, and cotton. 4. A(n) is a compressing device used to control circulation to an extremity for a period of time. 5. A(n) medication is administered through the mouth. Page 10 www.mycaert.com
VM A DECTOMAX INJECTABLE LABEL Description DECTOMAX Injectable (doramectin) DECTOMAX injectable is a ready-to-use, colorless to pale yellow sterile solution containing 1 percent w/v doramectin (10 mg/ml). In cattle, DECTOMAX is formulated to deliver the recommended dosage (200 mcg/kg of body weight) when given by subcutaneous (SC) or intramuscular (IM) injection at the rate of 1 ml/110 pounds of body weight. DECTOMAX injectable is indicated for the treatment and control of gastrointestinal roundworms, lungworms, eyeworms, grubs (see precautions), sucking lice, and mange mites. Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism. Dosage and Administration Administer DECTOMAX injectable at the recommended dosage of 1 ml per 110 pounds body weight by either subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. Beef Quality Assurance guidelines recommend subcutaneous administration as the preferred route. Injections should be given using 16- to 18-gauge needles, regardless of the administration route. Needles that are ½ to ¾ inches in length are suggested for SC injections. These injections should be given under the loose skin in front of or behind the shoulder. A 1½-inch needle is suggested for IM injections. The only area for IM injections is the muscular region of the neck. Page 11 www.mycaert.com
Precautions Not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. Residue warning: Do not harvest for human consumption within 35 days of treatment. A withdrawal period has not been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Warnings Not for human use. Keep out of reach of children. Caution DECTOMAX injectable has been developed specifically for use in cattle only. This product should not be used in other animal species, because severe adverse reactions (e.g., fatalities in dogs) may result. Disclaimer: This pharmaceutical label is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used for the actual administration of any medications. These labels use hypothetical dosage values which should not be used when dosing animals with actual medication. Page 12 www.mycaert.com
VM B DECTOMAX QUESTIONS 1. How is DECTOMAX supposed to be administered? 2. What is DECTOMAX used to treat? 3. What tools should be used to administer the DECTOMAX? 4. What animal should not use this medicine? 5. Is the medicine for human use? 6. What are the cautions given for DECTOMAX? 7. Is there a reside warning? What are the instructions about the reside warning? 8. What color is DECTOMAX? 9. How old should the animal be before using DECTOMAX? 10. How much medicine should be used in one dosage of DECTOMAX? Page 13 www.mycaert.com
LS A Name Interpreting Prescription Medicine Labels Purpose The purpose of this activity is to help students read prescription medicine labels and to practice using the information they contain. Objective Identify the information a prescription label should contain. Materials VM A DECTOMAX injectable label VM B DECTOMAX questions Procedure 1. Obtain the handout titled DECTOMAX Injectable from the teacher. 2. Read the label carefully. 3. Make notes about the description of the medicine, the dosage and administration directions, the precautions, the warnings, and the cautions of the medicine. 4. Obtain the handout titled DECTOMAX Questions. 5. Answer the questions about DECTOMAX, and prepare for a class discussion of DECTOMAX as a sample prescription medication. Page 14 www.mycaert.com