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 = ?C₀/2

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). The elimination rate constant of digoxin in a patient is 0.0144 h⁻¹. Find the half-life t½.

k = 0.0144 h⁻¹
t½ = h
2.Easy
Vd = 0.7 L/kgC = 25 mg/LLD = ?88 kg

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient who weighs 88 kg needs a loading dose of vancomycin to reach a level of 25 mg/L straight away. The volume of distribution is 0.7 L/kg. Find the loading dose LD in mg.

88 kgVd = 0.7 L/kgC = 25 mg/L
LD = mg
3.Medium
VCss​ = 15 mg/LR = ? mg/h · S = 0.8CL = 0.035 L/kg/h87 kg

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An 87 kg patient is to receive an aminophylline infusion (salt factor S = 0.8: 80% of aminophylline is theophylline). The theophylline clearance is 0.035 L/kg/h. What aminophylline infusion rate R in mg/h gives a steady-state theophylline level of 15 mg/L?

87 kgCL = 0.035 L/kg/hCss = 15 mg/LS = 0.8
R = mg/h
4.Medium
110t (h)C (mg/L)C₀ = 7 mg/Lt½ = 2.5 hC₀/2

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient receives an IV bolus of 150 mg of tobramycin. The level back-extrapolated to time zero is 7 mg/L and the half-life is 2.5 h. Find the volume of distribution Vd.

D = 150 mgC₀ = 7 mg/Lt½ = 2.5 h
Vd = L
5.Hard
VCss,avg​ = 15 mg/LD = ? mg · q8hCL = 0.04 L/kg/h81 kg · S = 1 · F = 1

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An 81 kg patient takes oral theophylline (F = 1) every 8 h. The clearance is 0.04 L/kg/h. What dose D in mg gives an average steady-state level of 15 mg/L?

CL = 0.04 L/kg/hτ = 8 hS = 1F = 181 kgCss,avg = 15 mg/L
D = mg
6.Hard
Vd = 0.5 L/kg6 → 15 mg/LLD = ? mg55 kg · S = 0.8 · F = 1

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 55 kg patient has a theophylline level of 6 mg/L; the target is 15 mg/L. The drug is given intravenously as aminophylline (S = 0.8), and the volume of distribution is 0.5 L/kg. What extra loading dose LD raises the level to the target?

55 kgVd = 0.5 L/kgC = 6 → 15 mg/LS = 0.8
LD = mg

Answer key

  1. 1. t½ = 48.14 h
  2. 2. LD = 1540 mg
  3. 3. R = 57.09 mg/h
  4. 4. Vd = 21.43 L
  5. 5. D = 388.8 mg
  6. 6. LD = 309.4 mg

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