Drug dosage in renal disease

Abstract

Based on the well known linear relationship between the overall drug elimination rate constant and the endogenous creatinine clearance, it is shown how individual drug elimination parameters in patients with renal disease can be estimated from the patient's creatinine clearance or serum creatinine concentration. By means of a simple nomogram the elimination rate fraction is determined which describes the elimination rate of the drug as a fraction of its normal elimination rate constant. Based on the estimated elimination rate fraction the dosage regimen in the patient with renal disease is individually modified according to pharmacokinetic principles. At present the described method can be used with 45 different drugs.