Chapter 2: Problem 4
What dose of a drug should be injected intravenously every 8 hours to obtain an average steady-state plasma drug concentration of \(5 \mathrm{mg} / \mathrm{L}\) if the drug's volume of distribution is \(30 \mathrm{~L}\) and its clearance is \(8 \mathrm{~L} / \mathrm{hr}\) ? (A) \(40 \mathrm{mg}\) (B) \(80 \mathrm{mg}\) (C) \(160 \mathrm{mg}\) (D) \(320 \mathrm{mg}\) (E) \(400 \mathrm{mg}\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understand Key Terms
Identify Necessary Formula
Plug in the Given Values
Calculate the Dose
Choose the Correct Answer
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Volume of Distribution
- A larger Vd suggests the drug extensively enters tissues and may not stay primarily in the blood plasma.
- A smaller Vd indicates the drug stays mostly in the blood stream.
Drug Clearance
Some factors that affect drug clearance include:
- Kidney and liver function: These organs are crucial for metabolizing and excreting drugs.
- Drug interactions: Other drugs can enhance or decrease clearance by affecting liver enzymes.
Steady-State Concentration
Here’s what you need to know:
- Achieving steady state: This depends on the drug's half-life and dosage schedule. It usually takes about 4-5 half-lives for a drug to reach a steady state.
- Importance: At steady-state, monitoring and adjusting the dose becomes easier, ensuring therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing side effects.
Intravenous Dosing
Consider these benefits of intravenous dosing:
- Rapid action: Drugs act quickly as they bypass absorption barriers found in other routes.
- Precise control: IV dosing allows for exact control over the drug's concentration levels in the blood, crucial for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows.