Continuousdose

Continuousdose is a term used to describe a dosing strategy in which a drug is delivered at a constant rate over a defined period, aiming to maintain a relatively steady plasma concentration and pharmacodynamic effect. This approach contrasts with intermittent dosing, where drug levels rise and fall between administrations. Continuousdose can be achieved through intravenous or subcutaneous continuous infusion, implanted or external programmable pumps, long-acting formulations that approximate a constant release, or transdermal systems designed to deliver a near-constant flux.

In clinical use, continuousdose is employed in oncology for certain chemotherapies (for example, continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil), in critical care for antibiotics, analgesia, and sedatives, and in chronic disease management through devices such as insulin pumps that deliver a steady basal rate. It is also used in pharmacology research to characterize pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationships and to optimize dosing for time-dependent drugs.

Advantages of continuousdose include steadier drug exposure, reduced peak-related toxicity, and potentially improved efficacy for drugs that require constant target engagement. Challenges include dependence on infusion hardware and secure access sites, risk of infection or local irritation, the need for meticulous dosing accuracy and monitoring, interruptions that disrupt steady-state levels, and higher costs associated with devices and monitoring.

Historically, continuous dosing evolved from early intravenous drip therapies and advanced with programmable infusion pumps. Ongoing research continues to refine when and how continuousdose offers clinical benefits over traditional intermittent dosing. See also: infusion therapy, constant-rate infusion, extended-release formulations.