lääkeainemonitorointia

Lääkeainemonitorointia, known in English as therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), is a specialized area of laboratory medicine that involves the clinical laboratory measurement of drug concentrations in a patient's biological fluids, most commonly serum or plasma. The primary goal of TDM is to optimize drug therapy by ensuring that drug concentrations remain within a therapeutic range, where the drug is effective but toxicity is minimized. This involves measuring the level of a drug in the body at specific times to guide dose adjustments.

TDM is particularly useful for drugs that have a narrow therapeutic index, meaning there is a small difference between the dose required for efficacy and the dose that causes toxicity. It is also valuable for drugs with significant pharmacokinetic variability among individuals, where factors like metabolism, absorption, distribution, and excretion can lead to widely different drug concentrations even with the same dose. Additionally, TDM can be helpful in cases of suspected non-compliance, altered drug metabolism (due to organ dysfunction or drug interactions), or when treatment response is suboptimal or adverse effects are suspected.

The process typically involves a clinician ordering a drug level test, a blood sample being drawn from the patient at a specified time relative to the last dose, and the laboratory analyzing the sample to determine the drug concentration. These results are then reported back to the clinician, who uses them, along with clinical information about the patient, to make informed decisions about modifying the dosage or frequency of the medication. TDM is a dynamic process, often requiring repeat measurements to assess the impact of dose changes. It plays a crucial role in improving patient safety and treatment outcomes for a select group of medications.