Whereas intranasal (IN) drug delivery has been used for many years, this administration route has not gained much interest in Belgium. IN drug delivery is painless, easy, and quick, thus proving attractive in emergency settings, especially in pediatric patients. While achieving an efficacy comparable to that of intravenous administration, the IN route is an interesting new alternative for emergency doctors, who can use it to induce opioid analgesia, reach optimal procedural sedation with midazolam, stop epileptic seizures with benzodiazepines, or antagonize morphine overdosage with naloxone.
What is already known about the topic?
Several emergency medical situations require a quick access to blood circulation, which is not always easy, especially in young children. The ideal method should be simple, safe, non-invasive, and quickly effective, especially if it can be generalized and proves painless.
What does this article bring up for us?
Intranasal drug delivery represents a good alternative to the intravenous route in many emergency situations, and its use may offer large benefits to both patients and health care professionals.
Key words
Intranasal route, systemic absorption, nasal cavity, intranasal mucosal atomization device, midazolam, sufentanil, ketamine