What it means
A topical drug is put on the skin or another surface: creams, ointments, lotions, gels, eye drops and patches. Many act mainly where they are put, though some, especially patches, are absorbed into the blood and act through the whole body. The opposite of a drug that acts locally is a systemicsis-TEM-ikAffecting the whole body rather than one part.Full entry one.
For the nurse
Wear gloves to apply topical drugs, so you do not absorb them yourself. Clean off the old layer before applying a new one, and rotate patch sites.
At a glance
| Spanish | tópico |
|---|---|
| Also written | topically |
Easy to confuse with
systemic
Affecting the whole body rather than one part.