Otic Medication Administration
Key Points
- Otic medications are instilled into the ear canal for local treatment.
- Correct auricle positioning differs between adults and pediatric patients.
- Post-instillation side-lying time supports medication penetration.
Equipment
- Ordered otic medication and dropper bottle
- Sterile saline or sterile water and gauze/cotton supplies
- Gloves when indicated by policy and condition
- MAR and documentation workflow access
Procedure Steps
- Verify patient identity, medication order, dose, and correct ear before administration.
- Perform hand hygiene and prepare supplies.
- Position patient side-lying with affected ear facing upward.
- Straighten ear canal by pulling auricle upward and backward for adults.
- For pediatric patients, pull auricle downward and backward.
- Hold dropper above ear and instill prescribed drops without touching ear or canal.
- Keep patient side-lying for 2-3 minutes to improve medication penetration.
- Provide site-specific aftercare and comfort support as needed.
- Document medication, dose, route, side, and patient response.
Common Errors
- Using wrong auricle direction for age group → poor canal alignment and ineffective delivery.
- Touching canal with dropper tip → contamination and infection risk.
- Ending side-lying position too early → reduced local medication contact time.
- Incomplete side and route documentation → safety and continuity errors.
Related
- ophthalmic-medication-administration - Similar contamination-control principles for sensory-organ medication routes.
- oral-medication-administration-safety - Medication rights verification and response documentation apply across routes.