Clearance

ABSTRACT

This tutorial deals with basic concepts of clearance, the most important parameter in pharmacokinetics but often challenging for students in clinical pharmacology. Its relationships with dose, concentration and elimination rate are discussed using a physical model and examples of commonly used drugs, as well as its physiological aspects pertaining to the blood flow to differing organs. Finally, application of clearance to the calculation of maintenance dose rate and half-life is used to show how it is essential in pharmacotherapy and clinical pharmacology.