Clearance
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Contents |
More Specific Terms
Introduction
- Removal from the systemic circulation & the body
Pharmacology
- renal clearance of a drug by the kidneys with or without prior metabolism by the liver
- hepatic metabolism with biliary elimination
- elimination in the bile unchanged
- small molecules may be eliminated through respiration
- Also see pharmacokinetics. Clinical significiance:
- drugs are eliminated either unchanged or as metabolites
- more polar compounds are eliminated more efficiently by excretory organs* than lipopilic compounds
- lipophilic compounds are metabolized to more polar compounds (see drug metabolism)
- lung is important for clearance of volatile drugs (i.e. inhalation anesthetics)
- polar compounds (unchanged drug & or metabolites) are excreted in the urine or bile
- * kidney, liver (via bile), breast ( lactating), excluding lung sweat, saliva & tears generally unimportant route of clearance
Additional Terms
References
- The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed. Gilman et al, eds. Permagon Press/McGraw Hill, 1996 pg 3-27
- Wikipedia: Clearance (medicine) [1]
