The nurse is explaining pharmacokinetic effects to a new nurse working on the unit. Which of the following statements alerts the nurse that a good level of understanding has been achieved? (Select all that apply.)

Question

a. "The trough is the lowest level.".
b. "The peak is the highest level.".
c. "With IV administration, the serum level falls more slowly.".
d. "Toxic concentration is when toxic effects occur.".
e. "Peak levels always occur in 30 minutes.".

Answer 1

A, B, D
Pharmacokinetics affects how much of a drug dose reaches the site of action. The goal in admi-nistering a medication is to achieve a constant blood level within a safe therapeutic range. The toxic concentration is the level at which toxic effects occur. When a medication is administered repeatedly, its serum level fluctuates between doses. The highest level is called the peak concen-tration and the lowest level is the trough concentration. After peaking, the serum concentration falls progressively. With intravenous (IV) infusions, the peak concentration occurs quickly, but the serum level also begins to fall immediately. Each medication reaches its peak at different times.