Pharmacokinetics in acute illness

Severe illness at any age is accompanied by organ dysfunction, the administration of numerous drugs and complex changes in drug absorption, disposition and action. The clinician faced with a seriously ill patient should be aware of the important principles of drug treatment in critical illness. With acute illness of all types, the premature infant and the octogenarian lie at opposite ends of an age spectrum which encompasses the gamut of human disease and changeable organ pathophysiology. The common requirement of this host of variables is a flexible management plan, and careful observation of the patient's response to a therapeutic regimen which has been based on a sound knowledge of drug pharmacokinetics.