First order (exponential) kinetics.

For majority of drugs

the processes involved in elimination are not saturated
over the clinically obtained concentrations. These drugs
have first order kinetics. Their rate of elimination is
directly proportional to plasma drug concentration and
their clearance
remains constant.

emilog plasma
oncentration-time
lot of a drug eliminated by first
rder kinetics
fter i.v. injection.

order (linear) kinetics.

w cases where the drugs are inactivat

tabolic degradation (such as ethanol,
toin, theophylline, salicylates, and war
me-course of disappearance of the drug
asma does not follow the exponential o
onential pattern, but is initially linear.
drugs are removed at a constant rate
is independent of plasma concentratio
often called zero order kinetics.

The blood alcohol

concentration
falls linearly and
the rate of fall
does not vary
with dose.

Plasma half live (t1/2)

is the time in which the plasma

concentration of a drug declines by one half. Drug with

long t1/2 can accumulate. Plasma t1/2 of some drugs:

Adenosine < 2 sec

Dobutamine 2 min
Benzylpenicillin 30 min
Amoxicillin 1 h
Paracetamol 2 h
Atenolol 7 h
Diazepam 40 h
Ethosuccimide 54 h
Digitoxin 168 h

From the peak plasma concentration the drug is virtually eliminated from the plasma in 5 t1/2 periods:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)