Many drugs show first order kinetics during their absorption and elimination from the body.
Characteristics of a first-order kinetic process:
(1) The elimination rate constant is constant (does not vary with concentration).
(2) The half-life of the drug is constant (as a result of the elimination rate constant).
(2) A plot of the logarithm of the concentration versus time (semi-log plot) is linear.
where:
• The direct plot shows a curve with the concentration initially dropping fast then slowing (reflecting the halving with each half-life).
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Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
ICD-10: ,
