drug elimination
Last reviewed 01/2018
Drug elimination is usually via the kidney:
- glomerular filtration - e.g. creatinine, digoxin, gentamicin
- tubular secretion - penicillin
- passive reabsorption - aspirin, quinidine, amphetamine
Renal failure is important if a drug:
- is more than 50% excreted unchanged
- has active metabolites excreted unchanged
- has a low toxic/therapeutic ratio, e.g. digoxin, gentamicin and other aminoglycosides, procainamide, lithium, methotrexate.