IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering
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IEEE Trans Biomed Eng · Jun 1991
A simple analytical solution to the three-compartment pharmacokinetic model suitable for computer-controlled infusion pumps.
The disposition of many drugs following an intravenous bolus injection can be described by a biexponential or triexponential equation. Computer-controlled infusion pumps have been developed which dose intravenous drugs based on models of drug disposition. These pumps can maintain steady plasma drug concentrations and facilitate controlled increases and decreases in drug concentration, enhancing titration of intravenous drugs. ⋯ Because of the complexity of these analytical solutions, other investigators have used numerical techniques to approximate the analytical solution. We have derived an extremely simple analytical solution to polyexponential disposition functions. This solution simplifies both the prediction of the plasma drug concentration by a computer-controlled infusion pump and the stepwise calculation of the infusion rate required to maintain constant plasma drug concentrations.