Paper Contents
Abstract
DRUG MONITORING (TDM) is based on the principle that for some drugs there is a close relationship between the plasma level of the drug and its clinical effect. If such a relationship does not exit TDM is of little value. The clinical value of plasma level monitoring depends on how precisely the treatment outcome can be defined.When a precise therapeutic end point is difficult to define, monitoring of drug levels may be of considerable therapeutic assistance. The therapeutic range therapeutic window is the concentration range of drug in plasma where the drug has been shown to be efficacious without causing toxic effects in most people. The therapeutic range concept suffers from two strategic deficiencies. First the idea of a range introduces uncertainty into exactly how to prescribe the desired dose. The second deficiency is the implicit assumption that all concentrations within the range are equally desirable. On the other hand, the target concentration is directly linked to a specific dose for an individual - not a range of doses. Selection of a target concentration requires an understanding of the concentration-effect relationship, i.e. pharmacodynamics, for both desired and undesired effects.
Copyright
Copyright © 2024 Dr.M.SPHURTHY MITRA. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
