A nurse is aware that the dosing scheduling of a patient's new medication takes into account the serum half-life of the drug. What is the serum half-life of a medication?
A) The time required for IV medications to penetrate the brain tissue
B) The time needed for the serum level to fall by 50%
C) The safest margin to prevent toxicity
D) The dose adjustment that reduces the risk of adverse effects by one half
B
Feedback:
Serum half-life is the time required for the serum concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%. Although many IV medications penetrate the brain tissue, this action does not describe the half-life. The safest margin to prevent toxicity depends on the rate of metabolism and excretion. The half-life of the medication does not relate directly to a specific reduction in adverse effects.
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