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Practical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

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Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care

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Abstract

The physiological responses to surgery, critical illness, and subsequent resuscitation can alter both pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) [1]. As a result of these changes, pharmacotherapy may need to be altered to produce the desired outcomes. A basic understanding of the principles of pharmacokinetics, or the movement of drugs in the body, and pharmacodynamics, the cells responses to drugs, is needed to maximize pharmacotherapy [2]. This chapter will review basic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles and some changes in the critically ill surgical patient.

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Abbreviations

α:

Distribution half-life

AUC:

Area under the curve

β:

Terminal half-life

Cl:

Clearance

Cmax:

Maximum concentration

Cmaxss:

Steady-state maximum concentration

Css:

Steady-state concentration

CYP:

Cytochrome P450

F:

Bioavailability

fT>MIC:

Free concentration time above minimum inhibitory concentration

ICU:

Intensive care unit

Ke:

Elimination constant

LD:

Loading dose

LOS:

Length of stay

MIC:

Minimum inhibitory concentration

PD:

Pharmacodynamics

PK:

Pharmacokinetics

PK/PD:

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

TDM:

Therapeutic drug monitoring

T1/2:

Half-life

T>MIC:

Time above mean inhibitory concentration

Vd:

Volume of distribution

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Anthony T. Gerlach PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FCCM

  2. Department of Pharmacy, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Lina Saliba PharmD, BCPS

Authors
  1. Anthony T. Gerlach PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FCCM
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  2. Lina Saliba PharmD, BCPS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony T. Gerlach PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FCCM .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Niels D. Martin

  2. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lewis J. Kaplan

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Gerlach, A.T., Saliba, L. (2016). Practical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics. In: Martin, N.D., Kaplan, L.J. (eds) Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_41

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33339-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33341-0

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