Lääkepitoisuus

Lääkepitoisuus refers to the concentration of a drug in a biological fluid, typically blood or plasma, at a specific point in time. This measurement is crucial in pharmacokinetics, the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs. Understanding lääkepitoisuus helps clinicians determine the appropriate dosage of a medication for an individual patient, monitor therapeutic effectiveness, and prevent or manage adverse drug reactions.

The lääkepitoisuus can vary significantly between individuals due to factors such as age, weight, kidney and liver function, and interactions with other medications. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a clinical practice that involves measuring lääkepitoisuus to ensure that the drug concentration remains within a safe and effective range. This is particularly important for drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, where the difference between an effective dose and a toxic dose is small.

Factors influencing lääkepitoisuus include the route of administration, the rate of absorption from the administration site, the extent of distribution into tissues, the rate of metabolism, and the speed of excretion. Changes in these pharmacokinetic processes can lead to either sub-therapeutic or toxic lääkepitoisuus levels. Therefore, regular monitoring and dose adjustments based on lääkepitoisuus measurements are often necessary to optimize drug therapy and achieve the desired clinical outcome.