Pediatr Emerg Med J.  2017 Jun;4(1):5-11. 10.22470/pemj.2017.00059.

Pharmacokinetics and drug therapy in neonates

• Cho HJ

• KMID: 2385909
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22470/pemj.2017.00059

Abstract

Neonates include both full term and preterm infants up to 28 days of age. The heterogeneity and rapid physiologic change of neonates affect all aspects of pharmacokinetics such as absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. This feature should be considered in determining the dose and regimen of drug therapy in neonates. However, the research on the safety and efficacy of specific drugs is limited due to ethical and technical issues. This review article focuses on the neonatal pharmacokinetics and the rationales of drug therapy in neonates based on findings of previous studies and empirical evidence.

Keyword

Bronchiolitis; Drug Administration Routes; Drug Therapy; Infants; Newborn; Pharmacokinetics

MeSH Terms

Absorption
Bronchiolitis
Drug Administration Routes
Drug Therapy*
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn*
Infant, Premature
Metabolism
Pharmacokinetics*
Population Characteristics