Calculating the half-life of medications
Check your answers on page 218
Half-life is the time taken for the concentration of drug in the plasma to fall by half. It is important for prescribers to have knowledge of the concept of half-life, in order to understand the relationship between impaired elimination of drugs from the body and the risk of toxicity. If metabolism or excretion are impaired, the half-life of drugs will be prolonged, necessitating either a dose reduction or prolongation of the dose interval. Practise calculating the reduction in plasma concentration for the following drugs.
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