Clearance & Hepatic Elimination Flashcards
Where can excretion of drugs occur?
renally, hepatic (biliary excretion), pulmonary
Significance of clearance of drugs?
It is the primary pharmacokinetic parameter describing drug elimination
What is the concept of clearance?
parameter than relates the rate of drug elimination to its concentration
What is the definition of clearance?
The apparent volume of plasma (or blood, or plasma water) completely cleared of drug per unit of time
In what situation is clearance constant irrespective of dose?
If drug PK is linear
When may drug PK not be linear?
Situations where you get enzyme/transporter saturation
How can you describe clearance?
By organ (hepatic, renal, pulmonary) and by site of measurement (plasma, blood, plasma water)
Why does clearance vary between drugs?
- inefficient extraction through the elimination organ - only a fraction removed
- additivity of clearance
What assumption do you make when determining rate of elimination in an organ?
That there is a quick distribution equilibrium - all change in concentration when passing through the organ is due to elimination
What is the extraction ratio?
How much of the drug is removed from the blood when passing through an organ (value 0 - 1)
How does extraction ratio relate to fraction escaping metabolism?
1-E = F for the given organ
Examples of drugs with a low hepatic extraction ratio?
Diazepam, warfarin, tolbutamide, phenytoin
Examples of drugs with a medium hepatic extraction ratio?
Quinidine, codeine, cyclosporine
Examples of drugs with high hepatic extraction ratio?
Alprenolol, propranolol, verapamil, lidocaine
Typical blood flow to the liver?
1300-1500mL/min
Typical blood flow to the kidney?
1100mL/min
Typical cardiac output?
6000mL/min
What is additivity of clearance?
liver and kidney are both major organs of elimination, so occurs in both and has a combined overall clearance
What are the major routes of hepatic elimination?
Metabolism and biliary excretion