The nurse is administering morphine sulfate to a client for pain. The

The nurse is administering morphine sulfate to a client for pain. The order has been written so that the nurse can chose from several routes of administration.

The nurse knows that the morphine sulfate be most rapidly absorbed by which of the following routes?
1. Oral
2. IV
3. IM
4. Rectal

ANSWER

ANS: 2
IV injections produce the most rapid absorption because they are immediately available when they enter systemic circulation. Oral medication must pass through the GI tract, making absorp-tion slow. IM medications must be absorbed by the blood flow to the site of the injection, mak-ing it slower than IV. Rectal medications must be absorbed through the rectal mucosa are fairly quickly absorbed due to the many blood vessels within the tissue.