Suppository

This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. Please help improve the article by providing more context for the reader. (November 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

A suppository is a

Suppositories are ideal for infants, elderly individuals and post-operative patients, who are unable to swallow oral medications, and for individuals experiencing severe nausea and/or vomiting.[1]^[2][3]

Composition

Several different ingredients can be used to form the base of a suppository: cocoa butter or a similar substitute, polyethylene glycol, hydrogels, and glycerinated gelatin. The type of material used depends on the type of suppository, the type of drug, and the conditions in which the suppository will be stored.^[4]

Rectal suppositories

In 1991, a study on suppository insertion in The Lancet found that the "torpedo" shape helps the device to travel internally, increasing its efficacy.^[5] The findings of this single study have been challenged as there is insufficient evidence on which to base clinical practice.^[6] Rectal suppositories are intended for localized or systemic action to relieve pain, constipation, irritation, inflammation, nausea and vomiting, fever, migraines, allergies, and sedation.^[7][8]

Urethral suppositories

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Suppository (category)

• Artesunate suppositories
• Enema
• Pessary

Notes