5 Individualizing Therapy

Question 1

What are the 4 main pharmacological principles?

Answer 1

1. absorption
2. distribution
3. metabolism
4. elimination

Question 2

Absorption

Answer 2

how the drug gets into the body from the site of administration

Question 3

Distribution

Answer 3

WIll the medication reach its target

• area of the body
• perfusion

Question 4

What are physiological barriers to to the drug reaching its target area?

Answer 4

• protein binding
• decreased protein–>potential increased Vd
• increased protein–>challenged Vd

Question 5

What are difficult areas to penetrate?

Answer 5

BBB, bone, eye

Question 6

Reported calcium levels measure calcium bound to albumin, so what can low albumin lead to?

Answer 6

falsely low calcium levels
-80% of calcium bound to albumin
corrected calcium for low albumin
=measured calcium + .8(4-albumin)

Question 7

What is metabolism?

Answer 7

How a medication is broken down to less active more soluble by-products

Question 8

Why is a loading dose given?

Answer 8

To achieve an immediate therapeutic response

• levels approximate those seen at steady state
• steady state NOT reached any faster sill 3-5 half lives need

Question 9

When are dose adjustments best made?

Answer 9

-when the patient is at steady state

Question 10

What is steady state dependent on?

Answer 10

half life