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Antidepressants for the virtually eviscerated patient: options instead of oral dosing
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0804, USA.
Objective:
Alternate ways of administering antidepressants when oral intake is impossible are discussed.
Method:
Reviews of 1) the medical circumstances that preclude oral medication administration and 2) novel administration strategies for antidepressants were conducted.
Results:
Consultation psychiatrists not infrequently encounter depressed patients who lack a functioning gastrointestinal tract and who thus cannot absorb oral antidepressant medication. Under these circumstances, antidepressants can be administered intravenously, by rectal suppository, or topically.
Conclusion:
There are options for administration of antidepressant medication when oral intake is impossible.