Loading dose
Loading Dose
Loading Dose (pronunciation: /ˈloʊdɪŋ doʊs/) is a term used in pharmacology to describe the initial higher dose of a drug that may be given at the beginning of a course of treatment before dropping down to a lower maintenance dose.
Etymology
The term "Loading Dose" is derived from the English words "load" meaning to fill, and "dose" which is a quantity of medicine prescribed to be taken at any one time.
Definition
A Loading Dose is a method used in medicine to achieve a therapeutic drug concentration in the body quickly. This is often used when a patient has low levels of a particular drug or when it is important to achieve therapeutic levels rapidly. The loading dose is typically larger than the subsequent doses, known as the maintenance dose, which maintain the drug's concentration in the body at therapeutically beneficial levels.
Related Terms
- Pharmacokinetics: The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs.
- Therapeutic window: The range of drug dosages which can treat disease effectively while staying within the safety range.
- Maintenance dose: The dose of drug that maintains or keeps the drug in the therapeutic range.
- Half-life: The time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the body to be reduced by half.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Loading dose
- Wikipedia's article - Loading dose
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