basic principles of neonatal pharm Flashcards
neonates are at inc risk for what?
experience adverse drug reactions and exposure via intrauterine environment
what can sulfonamies and ceftriaxone lead to in this population?
kernicterus
what can chloamphenicol lead to in this population?
grey baby syndrome; unable to metabolism the abx
what can benzyl alcohol lead to in this population?
gasping syndrome
what is pharmocokinetics?
what your BODY does to the DRUG
What is ADME?
Absorption (bioavailability)
Distribution (vol of distribution)
Metabolism
Excretion (clearance, half life and rate constant)
ADME are all processes that can be classified as what?
mechanisms of pharmacokinetics
What is half life?
T 1/2; in the process of elimination it is the time needed for the drug concentration to be decrease by 1/2.
What are routes of absorption?
intravenous, gastrointestinal, rectal, intramuscular, percutaneous, intraosseous, intrapulmonary/ inhaled
What is bioavailability?
F; it characterizes the extent of drug absorption and is the amount of drug that enters systemic circulation
What does F=1 indicate?
100% drug available for absorption; meaning all the drug was administered; more likely in IV route than PO (F<1)- r/t first pass metabolism
What is the rate of absorption?
not the same as bioavailability; the rate of absorption dictates the onset of effect and determines the duration of effect
How do oral drugs undergo metabolism prior to reaching systemic circulation?
blood from the intestinal tract that contains the absorbed drug is carried to the liver by the portal win where it can be metabolized before reaching the general systemic circulation (first pass metabolism)
What is one example of first pass metabolism and its implications for absorption and bioavailability?
morphine; it has excellent absorption but because of first pass metabolism, has low bioavailability as a PO medication
What routes are vulnerable to limited bioavailability?
PO, IM, subQ, rectal and inhaled
how does the rate of absorption differ in neonates as compared to adults?
oral liquids have a faster absorption
What are the factors affecting physicochemical absorption?
formulation of med (disintegration, dissolution, sustained-release), molecular weight, pKa, stability of gastric pH, lipid solubility
What are the patient factors affecting medication absorption?
first pass metabolism, co-admin with food, erratic gastric contents and/or emptying time, GIT pH, surface area, size of bile salt pool, bacterial colonization and underlying disease state (ex: short gut)
In general how is first pass metabolism affected in the neonatal patient?
it is lessened r/t hepatic immaturity
What is first pass metabolism?
it is gut metabolism + liver metabolism; drugs are absorbed through the gut, then enter the liver via the hepatic vein
What are the unique nutritional obstacles to medication administration in this specific population?
frequent feeding: Q3 or continuous; consistent buffer in the stomach; very difficult to achieve a true fasting state
What are the unique gastric emptying obstacles to medication administration in this specific population?
gastric emptying is erratic in infants, slower than adults (reaches adult levels by 6-8 mo), contributes to reflux, affects time drug reaches small intestine (major absorption site) and affected by caloric density of feeds
What are the unique gastric motility obstacles to medication administration in this specific population?
gastric motility is irregular in infants, uncoordinated peristalsis, longer transit time (8-96 hours in infants/ 4-12 in adults)
What are the unique gastric pH obstacles to medication administration in this specific population?
less acid production (inc pH)- term infant at birth pH 6-8, drops to 1-3 by dol 1; preterm infant takes longer to normalize (~3 wk)- immature acid production; acid production correlates with PNA, not corrected age
Why is gastric pH important in pharmacokinetics?
it affects the stability and degree of ionization of a drug; if molecules carry a charge, the stomach does not readily absorbed charged substances; inc absorption of acid labile Rx (penicillin, amp, nafcillin) and dec absorption of weak acid Rx (dilantin, phenobarb)
What are the unique GIT surface area obstacles to medication administration in this specific population?
small gut surface area decreased in infants as compared to adults
What are the unique pancreatic obstacles to medication administration in this specific population?
pancreatic fx is impaired; dec rate of synthesis, pool size and intestinal transport
Rx absorption can also be affected by gut flora. What affects the presence/ colonization of gut flora in infants?
age of infant, delivery method, feeding type and current Rx therapy (ex: acid suppressant)
What is an example of a Rx affected by immature gut flora in neonates?
digoxin, the rate of metabolism is reduced in an uncolonized tract
How does GIT permeability differ in the neonate?
increased permeability
How does reflux affect absorption?
unpredictable loss of drug
How does short bowel syndrome affect absorption?
decreases surface area of absorption
How do cardiac defects affect absorption?
shunting blood away from the GIT decreases the rate of absorption
How does hypo-/hyperthyroidism affect absorption?
can inc or dec GI transit time
What are the advantages to renal administration?
less first pass metabolism (absorbed directly into hemorrhidal veins- lower rectum absorbed into system; upper rectum absorbed into portal vein), alternative to PO if there is no PIV access (seizures, aspiration risk, NPO, emesis)
What are the disadvantages to renal administration?
erratic absorption, infant specific doseage is not readily available, may be expelled before fully absorbed
What factors can determine IM absorption?
blood flow to the injection site (pt with impaired peripheral perfusion should not be given IM meds), muscle mass and muscle activity
How is IM absorption altered in neonates as compared to adults?
less muscle mass, poor perfusion to various muscles, peripheral vasomotor instability and insufficient muscle contractions
What are examples of IM medications given to neonates?
amp, gent, vit K, ceftriaxone
What is the state of percutaneous absorption in neonates?
it is enhanced in infants
Why is percutaneous absorption enhanced?
thinner stratum corneum (> with lower GA), inc blood flow to the skin, in total body surface area, can result in systemic exposure of topical meds (steroids, antiseptics)
How does aquaphor affect neonatal skin?
in skin integrity and decreases losses
Why is IO a chosen route of administration?
bone marrow is highly vascularized (up to 5 yr old), alt to IV/IM, occasionally done in transport situations
What is the goal of intrapulmonary drug administration?
to concentrate med to a localized area that is the target of the intervention although systemic absorption can occur
what are examples of meds administered via intrapulmonary route?
dexamethasone, budesonide and tobramycin
What are the obstacles to intrapulmonary medication absorption?
developmental changes alters the capacity of lungs and patterns of drug deposition
what determines drug distribution in the neonate?
the binding affinity of drugs for proteins, if the med is hydrophillic/lipophilic, body composition (% of extracellular fluid and total body water), molecular weight, degree of ionization at body pH and hemodynamic factors (cardiac output)
What are three examples of classically hard to treat infections in the NI?
osteomyelitis, meningitis (difficult rx access r/t BBB) and endocarditis
what is volume of distribution?
the theoretical volume that the total amount of drug administered would have to occupy (if distributed evenly) to provide the same concentration as is currently in the blood plasma Vd= A/Cp