Synopsis of Important Principles

1. Critical illnesses are often associated with circulatory, respiratory, hepatic and/or renal dys­function that may alter the pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics of drugs.
2. Decisions about routes of administration and doses of drugs used during medical emergen­cies must consider the physiological status of the patient, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the particular drug, and how the two interact.
3. Adverse drug reactions and interactions are more likely in critically ill patients due to the effect of the disease on drug kinetics, the decreased toxic-therapeutic ratio due to severe under­lying illness, and the large number of medications that such patients receive. Adverse reactions to drugs should be considered when unexplained deterioration or failure to respond to therapy are encountered.

Blood, Critical Care, Critical Illness, Disease, Dosage, Drug, Effect, Glucose, Hypertension, Infection, Medical Emergen­cies, Medication, Respiratory, Syndrome, Therapeutic, Therapy, Toxic, Treatment

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