Clinical pharmacokinetics worksheet with answers

Free printable Clinical pharmacokinetics worksheet: 6 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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1.Easy
110100t (h)CC₀t½ = 9 hC₀/2

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). In a patient, theophylline has an elimination half-life of 9 h. Find the elimination rate constant k in h⁻¹.

t½ = 9 h
k = h⁻¹
2.Easy
110t (h)C (mg/L)8 mg/L1.5 hC = ?

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). Just after an IV dose, the tobramycin level is 8 mg/L. The half-life is 3 h, and the drug is eliminated by first-order kinetics. What is the level C 1.5 h later?

C₀ = 8 mg/Lt½ = 3 ht = 1.5 h
C = mg/L
3.Medium
VCss​ = 10 mg/LR = ? mg/h · S = 0.8CL = 0.05 L/kg/h78 kg

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 78 kg patient is to receive an aminophylline infusion (salt factor S = 0.8: 80% of aminophylline is theophylline). The theophylline clearance is 0.05 L/kg/h. What aminophylline infusion rate R in mg/h gives a steady-state theophylline level of 10 mg/L?

78 kgCL = 0.05 L/kg/hCss = 10 mg/LS = 0.8
R = mg/h
4.Medium
110t (h)C (mg/L)1 h8 mg/L4 h3.5 mg/L

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). After an IV dose of gentamicin, the level is 8 mg/L at 1 h and 3.5 mg/L at 4 h. Assume first-order elimination. Find the elimination rate constant k.

C1 = 8 mg/L (1 h)C2 = 3.5 mg/L (4 h)
k = h⁻¹
5.Hard
Vd = 7 L/kg0.4 → 1 mcg/LLD = ? mcg59 kg · S = 1 · F = 0.7

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 59 kg patient has a digoxin level of 0.4 mcg/L; the target is 1 mcg/L. The volume of distribution is 7 L/kg and the tablets have F = 0.7. What extra loading dose LD raises the level to the target?

59 kgVd = 7 L/kgC = 0.4 → 1 mcg/LF = 0.7
LD = mcg
6.Hard
VCss,avg​ = 25 mg/LD = ? mg · q12hCL = 5 L/hS = 1 · F = 1

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient receives vancomycin IV every 12 h; the vancomycin clearance is 5 L/h. What dose D in mg gives an average steady-state level of 25 mg/L?

CL = 5 L/hτ = 12 hS = 1F = 1Css,avg = 25 mg/L
D = mg

Answer key

  1. 1. k = 0.07702 h⁻¹
  2. 2. C = 5.657 mg/L
  3. 3. R = 48.75 mg/h
  4. 4. k = 0.2756 h⁻¹
  5. 5. LD = 354 mcg
  6. 6. D = 1500 mg

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