PK PROBLEMS
1. Amount of drug X administered to a patient is 0.9 gm and its plasma concentration is
found to be 0.03 mg/ml. The Clearance (CL) of the drug is - 2 L/hr. What will be the
volume of distribution of the drug X? and also calculate the t1/2?
Answer:
Vd = Amount administered÷ Plasma concentration
= 0.9gm÷0.03 mg/ ml =30L
And, t1/2 = 0.693× (Vd ÷ CL)
t1/2 = 0.693× (30÷2)
t1/2 = 0.693×15=10.395 hrs
2. Calculate the amount of adrenaline present in 2 ml of 1:1000 solution. If 0.2 ml of the
solution is injected. How much of the drug is given?
Answer:
1:1000 solution means 1gm of Adrenaline is present in 1000ml of solution.
i.e. 1000mg is present in 1000ml of solution
1ml contains 1mg of adrenaline. So 2ml contains 2mg of adrenaline.
If, 0.2 ml of solution is given, then 0.2 mg (200μg) of drug is present in it.
3. How much percentage of the amount of a drug will be left after 4 plasma half-lives in the
body which follows first order kinetics?
Answer:
After 1 half –life = 50% of drug is eliminated
After 2 half –life = 75% (50 +25) of drug is eliminated
After 3 half –life = 87.5% (50+25+12.5) of drug is eliminated
After 4 half –life = 93.75% (50+25+12.5+6.25) drug is eliminated,
So, (100 - 93.75= 6.25%), Thus, 6.25 % of the drug is left in the body.
4. A 30 year old patient on Digoxin therapy has developed digitalis toxicity. The plasma
digoxin level is 4 ng/ml. Renal functions are normal and the plasma t 1/2 for digoxin in this
patient is 1.6 days. How long should you withhold Digoxin in order to reach a safer yet
probably therapeutic level of 1 ng/ml?
Answer:
We want to decrease the plasma concentration of digoxin from 4ng/ml to1ng/ml.
After 1 half –life = 50% of drug is eliminated
After 2 half –life = 75% (50 +25) of drug is eliminated
It will take 2 half-lives.
Thus time required will be 2 × t1/2 =2×1.6= 3.2 days.
5. Calculate the dose of Metronidazole in a child aged 6 years weighing 16 kg using
Young’s and Dilling’s Formula. (adult dose= 400 mg t.i.d)
Answer:
Young’s formula for child dose = Age ÷ (Age+12) × adult dosec
= 6÷ (6+12) × 400
=133.3 mg
Dilling’s formula for child dose = (Age ÷20) × adult dose
= (6÷ 20) × 400
=120 mg
6. A female patient is suffering from iron deficiency anemia. Her weight is 60 kg and her
hemoglobin is 8gm %. Calculate the parenteral dose of iron sorbitol in this patient.
(normal Hb value =14gm %)
Answer:
Parenteral dose for iron (dose in ml) =
(0.0476×Body weight in Kg) × (14-Hemoglobin deficit/100ml) + 1ml/5kg body wt
= (0.0476× 60) × (14-8) +12
= (2.856 × 6) +12 = 17.136 + 12 = 29.136 ml
7. Calculate the t1/2 of a drug whose Vd is 600 L/Kg and Clearance (CL) is 60 L/hr. How
long will it take to reach 75% of the final steady state concentration if it follows first order
kinetics?
Answer:
As we know that, t1/2 = 0.693× (Vd ÷ CL)
= 0.693× (600÷ 60)
= 6.93 hours
After 1 half –life = 50% of drug is eliminated
After 2 half –life = 75% (50 +25) of drug is eliminated
So, to reach 75% of the final steady state concentration it takes 2 half lives
=2× 6.93=13.86 hours is required
8. If a drug is cleared 70% by kidney and 30% by liver and its normal therapeutic dose is
100mg per day. Calculate the corrected dose in the patient with creatinine clearance of
50ml/min
Answer:
corrected dose=¿
(
( % of drug cleared by liver ) + % of drug cleared by renal ×
creatinine clearance
therapeutic dose )
=30 + {[70X50]÷100} = 30 + 35 = 65mg
9. A female patient is suffering from iron defiency anemia. Her weight is 50 kg and her
hemoglobin is 6gm/100ml. Calculate the parenteral dose of iron dextran in this patient.
Answer:
Parenteral dose for iron (dose in ml)
= (0.0476×Body weight in Kg) ×(14-Hemoglobin deficit/100ml)+ 1ml/5kg body wt.
= (0.0476×50)×(14-6) +10
= (2.38× 8) +10
= 19.04+10 = 29.04 mg
10. Calculate the dose of Amoxicillin in a child aged 5 years weighing 14 kg using Young’s
and Dilling’s Formula.(adult dose= 500 mg t.i.d)
Answer:
Young’s formula for child dose = Age ÷ (Age+12) × adult dose
=5 ÷ (5+12) × 500
=147 mg
Dilling’s formula for child dose = Age ÷20 × adult dose
= 5÷ 20× 500 =125 mg
11. Calculate the loading dose for Digoxin if its therapeutic effect is 2μg/L of plasma
concentration. Its volume of distribution is 640L
Answer:
Loading dose= [desired plasma concentration (mg/L)] X [volume of distribution (aVd) (L/kg
body weight)]
=2μg/L X 640
=0.002mg/L X 640
= 1.28mg
So, the loading dose for digoxin is 1.28mg
12. the normal therapeutic adult dose of a drug is 100mg IV two times a day. Its clearance
is almost entirely by glomerular filtration. The patient with renal disease shows creatinine
clearance of 30ml/min. what shall be the corrected dose of this drug for this patient in such
a situation?
Answer:
Corrected dose= Normal dose X patient creatinine clearance
Normal creatinine clearance (100ml/min)
= {100x30}÷100= 30mg IV twice a day.
13. A female patient is suffering from iron deficiency anemia. Her weight is 70 kg and her
hemoglobin is 4gm%. Calculate the parenteral dose of iron sorbitol in this patient.
Answer:
Parenteral dose for iron (dose in ml)
= (0.0476×Body weight in Kg) ×(14-Hemoglobin deficit/100ml)+ 1ml/5kg body wt.
= (0.0476× 70) × (14-4) + 14
= (3.332 × 10) +14 = 33.32+ 14 = 47.32 ml