Pharmacokinetics refers to the processes that the body subjects a drug to once administered. These processes include absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Contrarily, pharmacodynamics describes the effects that a drug has on the body, such as changes in the physiological processes and the side effects. The two processes are affected by different patient characteristics, such as age and gender. I have worked with the pediatric patient population and observed the two concepts in these patients. Lu and Rosenbaum (2014) define the pediatric population as consisting of neonates, infants, developing children, and adolescents. Their age affects pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in various ways.
I have learned a lot from my experience with pediatric patient populations. First, the effective administration of drugs is tremendously challenging. This is because the rapid developments taking place inside the body have profound effects on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. For example, the gastric PH of a pediatric patient changes rapidly from birth through to childhood, which affects the efficiency of orally administered drugs. In addition, their physical size and physiological factors such, as membrane permeability, vary as the individual matures. In one instance, medicine administered to two children with similar conditions, and with an age differential of two months, had different results due to fast growth rate. NURS 6521 week 1 Discussion: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.
Administering drugs to pediatric patient population requires careful consideration of their unique physical and physiological characteristics. For example, the difference in the physical size between neonates and infants require that they are given different dosage sizes. Growth occurs very fast when the child is young, and it is critical to have the exact age and weight to administer the correct dosage. Another essential factor to consider in administering drugs is the PH of the gut. At birth, for example, gastric PH is neutral. Administering drugs to neonates should then consider the chemical composition of drugs administered orally to ensure they are effective (van den Anker et al., 2018). Every child should be treated uniquely as the rate of growth, and bodily changes vary. NURS 6521 week 1 Discussion: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
References
Lu, H., & Rosenbaum, S. (2014). Developmental pharmacokinetics in pediatric populations. The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 19(4), 262-276.
van den Anker, J., Reed, M. D., Allegaert, K., & Kearns, G. L. (2018). Developmental changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 58(10), S10-S25 NURS 6521 week 1 Discussion: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.
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