How critical illness impacts drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

摘要

Critical illness induces pathophysiological changes that cause significant alterations to drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) 1 . PK refers to how the body handles drugs in terms of absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination; and PD refers to the concentration effect of the drug at its site of action. Additionally, therapies designed to replace or support failing organs, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or renal replacement therapies (RRTs), impact drug PK-PD. The overall picture in critical illness is considerable PK-PD heterogeneity, which is highly dynamic with significant inter-and intra-individual variation.