What does parenteral mean?
Parenteral is a medical adjective describing substances, medicines, or forms of treatment delivered into the body without using the digestive tract. The most familiar examples are injections and intravenous infusions, although parenteral administration can also involve routes such as the subcutaneous or intramuscular tissues. In a hospital, a patient receiving nutrition through a vein may be described as receiving parenteral nutrition, while medication given by injection is parenteral medication. The term is especially useful because it distinguishes a route of delivery rather than identifying a particular substance or procedure. It is not simply another word for intravenous: intravenous administration is one important form of parenteral administration, alongside subcutaneous, intramuscular, and other non-digestive routes. Parenteral contrasts with oral and enteral, both of which involve the gastrointestinal tract. Although often encountered in clinical settings, the word also appears in general discussions of medicine, pharmacology, and nutrition.
adjectiveIn medicine, parenteral describes a route of administration in which a substance is delivered into the body other than through the digestive tract, typically by injection or infusion. It can also refer to medication, nutrition, or treatment given by such a route.
- Relating to the administration of a substance into the body by a route other than the digestive tract, especially by injection or infusion.
"The hospital used parenteral nutrition when the patient could not tolerate ordinary food or tube feeding."
"The nurse administered the painkiller parenterally because the patient could not swallow medication."
"Parenteral therapy can provide nutrients when oral or enteral feeding is unsuitable."
When the intestine is not in the route, the delivery method is parenteral: medicine enters through a needle rather than the digestive tract.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does parenteral come from?
The term was formed in medical Latin from Greek para-, meaning “beside” or “apart from,” and enteron, meaning “intestine.” Its development reflects the distinction between delivering a substance through the intestine and introducing it by another route. The related English words enteral, enteric, and enteritis preserve the same Greek intestinal root.
Related word forms
How parenteral is actually used
This is primarily a formal medical term. It is often used to contrast parenteral treatment with oral or enteral administration.
Easily confused with parenteral
Parenteral administration bypasses the digestive tract, usually through injection or infusion, whereas enteral administration uses the gastrointestinal tract.