rate of elimination constant - boggart - Printable Version +- USMLE Forum - Largest USMLE Community (https://www.usmleforum.com) +-- Forum: USMLE Forum (https://www.usmleforum.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Step 1 (https://www.usmleforum.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=2) +--- Thread: rate of elimination constant - boggart (/showthread.php?tid=77708)

rate of elimination constant - boggart - ArchivalUser - 03-12-2006 can someone explain to me what this is? if clearance = rate of elimination constant . volume of distribution [kaplan] and clearnace = rate of elimination / plasma concentration [first aid] then rate of elimination constant = (rate of elimination/plasma con).(plasma conc/ amount) = rate of elimination / amount ??? makes no sense to me. 0 - ArchivalUser - 03-12-2006 You have not distinguished between 1. elimination constant and 2. rate of elimination vol. of distribution= amount/plasma conc. so, clearance = elimination constant . volume of distribution -------------1 clearance = rate of elimination / plasma concentration --------------2 replace clearance in 2 with 1 rate of elimination / plasma concentration = elimination constant . volume of distribution replace vol. of distribution with: amount/plasma conc Now, rate of elimination / plasma concentration = elimination constant . amount/plasma conc So you get: elimination constant= (rate of elimination/plasma con).(plasma conc/ amount) which is obviously equal to rate of elimination/ amount. 0 - ArchivalUser - 03-12-2006 but what does this constant mean? and how can the constant be proportional to amount?