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
Vd = 0.7 L/kgC = 25 mg/LLD = ?67 kg

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient who weighs 67 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.

67 kgVd = 0.7 L/kgC = 25 mg/L
LD = mg
2.Easy
110100t (h)CC₀t½ = ?C₀/2

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). The elimination rate constant of theophylline in a patient is 0.0866 h⁻¹. Find the half-life t½.

k = 0.0866 h⁻¹
t½ = h
3.Medium
Vd = 7 L/kgC = 1 mcg/LLD = ? mcg58 kg · S = 1 · F = 0.7

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 58 kg patient is to be loaded with digoxin tablets to reach a level of 1 mcg/L. The volume of distribution is 7 L/kg and the tablets have a bioavailability F = 0.7. Find the total oral loading dose LD in mcg.

58 kgVd = 7 L/kgC = 1 mcg/LF = 0.7
LD = mcg
4.Medium
10100t (h)C (mg/L)1 h40 mg/L13 h14.1 mg/L

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). After an IV dose of vancomycin, the level is 40 mg/L at 1 h and 14.1 mg/L at 13 h. Assume first-order elimination. Find the elimination rate constant k.

C1 = 40 mg/L (1 h)C2 = 14.1 mg/L (13 h)
k = h⁻¹
5.Hard
Vd = 0.5 L/kg6 → 12 mg/LLD = ? mg59 kg · S = 0.8 · F = 1

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 59 kg patient has a theophylline level of 6 mg/L; the target is 12 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?

59 kgVd = 0.5 L/kgC = 6 → 12 mg/LS = 0.8
LD = mg
6.Hard
Vd = 0.25 L/kg1 → 10 mg/LD = ? mg99 kg

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 99 kg patient on regular gentamicin doses is at steady state. The target is a peak of 10 mg/L and a trough of 1 mg/L, and the volume of distribution is 0.25 L/kg. Assuming rapid IV doses, what dose D raises the level from the trough to the peak?

99 kgVd = 0.25 L/kgCpeak = 10 mg/LCtrough = 1 mg/L
D = mg

Answer key

  1. 1. LD = 1173 mg
  2. 2. t½ = 8.004 h
  3. 3. LD = 580 mcg
  4. 4. k = 0.08689 h⁻¹
  5. 5. LD = 221.3 mg
  6. 6. D = 222.8 mg

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