A patient with a respiratory infection asks the nurse why some antibiotics are prescribed to be taken every 12 hours and some have to be taken 4 times a day.What is the nurse's best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All medications have a biologic half-life,which is the time it takes for the body to lower the amount of unchanged medication by half.A drug with a short half-life (e.g.,2 to 3 hours)needs to be given more frequently than a drug with a longer half-life (e.g.,10 to 12 hours).A medication's half-life does not change with the dose of the medication; its half-life is always the same no matter how much medication is administered.To maintain a therapeutic plateau,a patient receives regular fixed doses at specific intervals that correspond with their half-life.The goal of medication administration is to achieve a therapeutic plateau,a point at which the blood level of a medication remains consistent.After an initial medication dose,the patient receives each successive dose when the previous dose reaches its half-life.

A Patient with a Respiratory Infection Asks the Nurse Why