![]() The loading dose can be determined using the following equation: The loading dose rapidly achieves the therapeutic response and subsequent doses maintain the response. If therapeutic effects are needed quickly, and the drug has a long half-life, one can use a loading dose to achieve therapeutic levels on the first dose. For drugs with rapid elimination and short half-life values, this is not a problem however drugs with slow elimination could require days or weeks to achieve steady-state. To achieve steady-state, you need approximately 5-7 half-lives of the drug. The following table illustrates how long it will take to achieve steady-state relative to the half-life: # of half-lives The time it takes for a drug to reach steady-state is a function of the elimination half-life of the drug. ![]() ![]() Drug therapy in chronic disease situations requires systemic drug levels to reach target steady-state levels for maximum safety and efficacy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |