The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay
The factor selected for this case study is age. The process of aging affects the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes of drugs in the body (Thürmann, 2020). With increasing age, the body’s ability to metabolize and eliminate drugs decreases due to a decline in liver and kidney function. Maher et al. (2021) explained that as individuals’ age, their liver and kidney function undergoes structural and functional changes that decrease the body’s ability to metabolize and eliminate drugs. As a result, these changes lead to altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, resulting in increased drug concentrations and altered drug responses. Health care providers need to be aware of these age-related changes when prescribing medications to older adults to make certain safe and effective treatment are administered. The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay
ORDER HERE A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
In this case, BN is a 74-year-old male, which means that he is likely to have a reduced hepatic and renal function, leading to a decreased ability to metabolize and excrete drugs from his body. This reduced function may lead to the accumulation of drugs in his body, which can cause adverse drug reactions. BN’s age and sex make him more susceptible to age-related declines in hepatic and renal function. Maher et al. (2021) explained that in such a case, the reduction in function impacts the ability of the body to effectively metabolize and excrete drugs, leading to an increased risk of drug accumulation and subsequent adverse drug reactions. Arguably, the liver is responsible for metabolizing many drugs, and its decreased function has the capability of leading to a slower breakdown of medications ultimately culminating in drug accumulation. The kidneys are responsible for filtering and excreting drugs from the body, and their reduced function causes a slower excretion of drugs, further exacerbating the risk of drug accumulation. Drawing from this, it is crucial for healthcare providers to consider BN’s age and renal/hepatic function when prescribing medications to him to minimize the risk of adverse drug reactions. Rosenthal and Burchum (2017) mentioned in their article that aging in many cases result in changes in body composition and a reduction in lean body mass alters the distribution of drugs in the body. Following this, the change could also result in an increased risk of drug toxicity due to a higher concentration of drugs in the body. The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay
The changes in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in BN may impact his recommended drug therapy in several ways. His reduced hepatic and renal function are likely to significantly affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs prescribed. For instance, drugs that are primarily metabolized by the liver, such as digoxin and warfarin, may have a prolonged duration of action due to decreased liver function, leading to increased drug concentration and the risk of toxicity. Similarly, drugs that are primarily excreted through the kidneys, such as aminoglycosides or metformin, could accumulate in the body due to decreased renal function, leading to increased risk of toxicity or adverse drug reactions (Maher et al., 2021). Therefore, healthcare providers need to be cautious when prescribing medications to BN and need to adjust dosages or choose alternative drugs with less potential for toxicity. Also, monitoring for adverse drug reactions is essential to ensure safe and effective drug therapy in older adults with reduced hepatic and renal function. Notably, BN’s age-related changes in body composition may require a reduction in the dose of some drugs. The reduced lean body mass in elderly patients leads to a higher concentration of drugs like diltiazem and metoprolol in the body, resulting in toxicity (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2017). Moreover, BN’s changes in receptor sensitivity may alter the response to drugs such as metoprolol, which acts on beta-receptors. This change may result in a lower efficacy of the drug, requiring a higher dose or alternative therapy. The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay
To improve BN’s drug therapy plan, several changes need to be made. Firstly, the dose of drugs such as digoxin and warfarin had to be adjusted due to his reduced hepatic and renal function. This adjustment involved monitoring the drug levels in the blood to prevent toxicity Due to BN’s reduced hepatic and renal function, his body may not be able to effectively metabolize and eliminate drugs such as digoxin and warfarin pointing towards the importance of making adjustments to the doses of these drugs to avoid toxicity. This requires monitoring of the drug levels in the blood to ensure that they are within the therapeutic range (Lee, Choi & Sung, 2019). Secondly, a review of his drug regimen was necessary to eliminate drugs that are not essential or could be harmful to his condition. For instance, ibuprofen increases the risk of bleeding in patients taking warfarin. Thirdly, alternative therapy is needed for some drugs for example, a calcium channel blocker like amlodipine is a better alternative to diltiazem in elderly patients due to its lower risk of toxicity. Lastly, monitoring of drug efficacy and adverse effects is crucial to certify that BN is receiving optimal drug therapy. The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay
References
Rosenthal, L. D., & Burchum, J. (2017). Lehne’s Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Providers-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Thürmann, P. A. (2020). Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in older adults. Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, 33(1), 109-113. 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000814
Maher, D., Ailabouni, N., Mangoni, A. A., Wiese, M. D., & Reeve, E. (2021). Alterations in drug disposition in older adults: a focus on geriatric syndromes. Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology, 17(1), 41-52.
Lee, S. H., Choi, N., & Sung, J. H. (2019). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic insights from microfluidic intestine-on-a-chip models. Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology, 15(12), 1005-1019. The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay
ORDER TODAY
Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:
Explain how the factor you selected might influence the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in the patient from the case study you were assigned.
Describe how changes in the processes might impact the patientâ€
s recommended drug therapy. Be specific and provide examples.
Explain how you might improve the patientâ€s drug therapy plan and explain why you would make these recommended improvements. The Impact of Age on the Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Processes in the Patient Essay