Geriatric Conditions Modifying Dosage - Video Lesson

Hey, everybody. Welcome to today's lesson on pharmacokinetics. This lesson discusses the geriatric conditions which require modifying the dosage of medications. Understanding the age related changes and conditions, which impact how drugs are distributed, absorbed, metabolized, and excreted from the body, is critical for developing monitoring protocols when working with geriatric patients. Age related changes in body composition and organ function significantly affect how drugs behave within the body. As individuals age, there is a natural decrease in lean body mass and body water, while fat content increases. This alteration in body composition can impact the distribution of medications. For example, in an elderly patient with decreased body water, the concentration of digoxin, a common heart medication, can be higher, leading to an increased risk of toxicity. Organ function, especially liver and kidneys, declines with age. This decline effect