Morphine Serum Concentrations and Dosing

by Joshua Vollstaedt

Submitted : Fall 2009

Finding the correct dosages of drugs depends on many factors, including, weight, age, and health. To find the correct dosages for the test subjects, it was necessary to use equations which relate plasma concentration to other factors which affect drug distribution, then differentiate these equations with respect to time. After solving the equations, it was necessary to take into account variables such as, volume of distribution, initial concentration, and in oral doses, finding the absorption rate and fraction of dose absorbed. Using the solved equations to plot plasma concentrations over time with respect to different doses allowed for calculations of correct doses with respect to therapeutic index. The doses I determined to stay below toxic doses and above therapeutic doses were 7.5mg for I.V. morphine and 35mg for pill form of morphine.

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