Paper I
2016 February (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Plasma half life and its clinical relevance.

Q111 marksShort Answers

Answer

Plasma half-life (t½) is the time taken for the plasma concentration of a drug to fall to half its original value. For first-order kinetics, t½ = 0.693/Ke and is constant regardless of dose.

Clinical relevance

  • Determines dosing frequency/interval
  • Determines time to reach steady state on repeated dosing (~4–5 half-lives)
  • Determines time needed for a drug to be essentially eliminated after stopping it (~4–5 half-lives)
  • Guides loading dose vs. maintenance dose decisions in urgent situations

Other Years Asked


Revise MBBS
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