Practical problems for
Section 1:
IV Bolus pharmacokinetics
1- A 50-kg woman was given a single IV dose of an antibacterial drug at a dose
level of 6 mg/kg. Blood samples were taken at various time intervals. The
concentration of the drug (Cp) was
determined in the plasma fraction of each
blood sample and the following data were
obtained:
a. What are the values for VD, k, and t1/2
for this drug?
b. This antibacterial agent is not effective at
a plasma concentration of less than 2
mg/mL. What is the duration of activity for
this drug?
c. How long would it take for 99.9% of this
drug to be eliminated?
d. If the dose of the antibiotic was doubled exactly, what would be the increase
in duration of activity?
2- A new antibiotic drug was given in a single intravenous bolus of 4 mg/kg to 5
healthy male adults ranging in age from 23 to 38 years (average weight 75 kg).
The pharmacokinetics of the plasma drug concentration–time curve for this
drug fits a one-compartment model. The equation of the curve that best fits the
data is
𝐶𝑝 = 78 𝑒 − 0.46 𝑡
Determine the following (assume units of µg/mL for Cp and hours for t):
a. What is the t1/2?
b. What is the VD?
c. What is the plasma level of the drug after 4 hours?
d. How much drug is left in the body after 4 hours?
e. Assuming the drug is no longer effective when levels decline to less than 2
mg/mL, when should you administer the next dose?
3- A 70-kg volunteer is given an intravenous dose of an antibiotic, and serum
drug concentrations were determined at 2 hours and 5 hours after
administration. The drug concentrations were 1.2 and 0.3 mg/mL, respectively.
What is the biologic half-life for this drug, assuming first-order elimination
kinetics?
Noha Alaa Hamdy, PharmD, PhD
4- A new drug was given in a single intravenous dose of 200 mg to an 80-kg
adult male patient. After 6 hours, the plasma drug concentration of drug was
1.5 mg/100 mL of plasma. Assuming that the apparent VD is 10% of body
weight, compute the total amount of drug in the body fluids after 6 hours.
What is the half-life of this drug?
5- A drug has an elimination t1/2 of 6 hours and follows first-order kinetics. If a
single 200-mg dose is given to an adult male patient (68 kg) by IV bolus
injection, what percent of the dose is lost in 24 hours?
6- A single IV bolus injection containing 500 mg of cefamandole nafate
(Mandol, Lilly) is given to an adult female patient (63 years, 55 kg) for a
septicemic infection. The apparent volume of distribution is 0.1 L/kg and the
elimination half-life is 0.75 hour. Assuming the drug is eliminated by first-
order kinetics and may be described by a one-compartment model, calculate
the following:
a. The Cp0
b. The amount of drug in the body 4 hours after the dose is given
c. The time for the drug to decline to 0.5 mg/L, the minimum inhibitory
concentration for streptococci
7- If the amount of drug in the body declines from 100% of the dose (IV bolus
injection) to 25% of the dose in 8 hours, what is the elimination half-life for
this drug? (Assume first-order kinetics.)
Noha Alaa Hamdy, PharmD, PhD
