Pharmicokinetics Flashcards
What does ‘half-life’ mean?
The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for one-half of the drug to be eliminated from the body.
Katzung BG, Masters, SB, & Trevor AJ. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012: 42.
What is ‘clearance’?
Clearance refers to the ability of the body to eliminate a drug.
Katzung BG, Masters, SB, & Trevor AJ. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2009: 37.
What is volume of distribution?
The volume of distribution is a number that describes the amount of drug in the body compared to how much is actually in the bloodstream. It is calculated as Vd = Amount of drug in body/Plasma concentation of the drug. It actually describes an apparent volume. If a large amount of a drug has been administered and only a small amount of the drug appears in the plasma, the drug is said to have a large volume of distribution.
Katzung BG, Masters, SB, & Trevor AJ. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012: 38.
What does the term bioavailability mean?
Bioavailability refers to the amount of the drug that is able to reach its target receptor after it is introduced into the circulatory system.
Nagelhout JJ, Plaus KL. Nurse Anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders Company; 2014: 66.
What does the term ‘steady-state’ mean?
Steady-state refers to a state in which all of the tissues in the body have had time to reach equilibrium. The concentration of drug differs between organs, but no longer varies from moment- to-moment.
Nagelhout JJ, Plaus KL. Nurse Anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders Company; 2014: 70.
What pharmacokinetic measurement predicts the time it takes for half of a drug to be eliminated when a continuous infusion of the drug is discontinued?
The context-sensitive half-time. It should be noted that context sensitive half-times are computer models that only predict the time for 50% of the drug in the central compartment to be eliminated. It does not predict the time for recovery from the drug.
Nagelhout JJ, Plaus KL. Nurse Anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders Company; 2014: 72-73.
What does ‘extent of absorption’ mean?
Extent of absorption refers to the degree a drug reaches the blood stream from the site of administration. For example, only about 70% of a dose of digoxin reaches the bloodstream when it is administered orally.
Katzung BG, Masters, SB, & Trevor AJ. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012: 43.
How does molecule size affect a drugs ability to cross a biologic membrane?
The smaller the molecule is, the easier it is for it to cross a biologic membrane. Usually, molecules heavier than 100-200 Daltons do not cross cell membranes.
Nagelhout JJ, Plaus KL. Nurse Anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders Company; 2014: 5944.
To what does the term ‘stereochemistry refer?
It refers to the ability for a chemical to have more than one possible structural arrangement. It is based on the presence of a structural component called a chiral carbon. The chiral carbon acts as a point in which a portion of the chemical can be rotated into another position. The two chemicals are isomers of each other and often have substantial differences in their pharmacologic effect.
Nagelhout JJ, Plaus KL. Nurse Anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders Company; 2014: 69.
How do albumin, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, and beta- globulin differ in their ability to bind with drugs?
Although albumin is able to bind to drugs that are acidic, neutral, or basic, it binds more readily to acidic compounds. Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein and beta-globulin bind more readily to basic compounds.
Nagelhout JJ, Plaus KL. Nurse Anesthesia. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders Company; 2014: 64.
What factors affect the extent of absorption of a drug?
Factors that affect the ability of the drug to cross from the GI tract to the bloodstream affect the extent of absorption (e.g. the drug is too hydrophilic or too lipophilic, transport mechanisms may tend to pump the drug back into the gastrointestinal system, etc).
Katzung BG, Masters, SB, & Trevor AJ. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012: 43.
What is the most prevalent protein in the bloodstream?
Albumin
How does protein binding affect the ability of a drug to exert its pharmacologic effects?
The more protein bound a drug is, the less of the drug is available to exert its effects and vice versa.
What is a reversible antagonist?
A reversible antagonist will compete with the agonist for receptor binding locations and will decrease the ability of the agonist to activate the receptor. If the relative concentration of the agonist increases, it can ‘dislodge’ the antagonist from the receptor and the pharmacologic effects of the antagonist will diminish.
How is receptor affinity for a drug related to the potency of a drug?
Receptor affinity refers to the degree of attraction that exists between a drug and the receptor to which it attaches. Drugs with a high affinity for a receptor bind to it easily. Drugs with a low affinity for a receptor do not tend to bind with it as quickly.
How do ionized and nonionized forms of a drug compare in their ability to cross cell membranes?
Ionized forms of a drug are charged and are water-soluble. Nonionized forms of a drug do not have an electrical charge and are lipid-soluble. Because cell membranes are composed of lipids, only lipid-soluble drugs can pass through them easily. Lipid membranes tend to repel ionized drugs because of their electrical charge.
What is the general chemical composition of most drugs?
Most are salts of either a weak base or a weak acid.
How does hypoalbuminemia affect the action of a highly protein-bound drug like warfarin?
About 98% of warfarin is protein-bound. As the plasma protein level decreases, there is less of the protein available for the drug to bind with, and more of the free form of the drug is available to exert its pharmacologic action. In summary, hypoalbuminemia intensifies the action of highly protein-bound drugs.
What percentage of the body weight does plasma constitute?
5%
What does the term ‘maximum effect’ mean?
All drugs have a maximum effect. This represents the maximum response that can be clinically seen. Once this point is reached, the administration of more of the drug will not increase the response any further.
What percentage of the body weight does adipose tissue constitute?
20%