Pharmacokinetics · Pharmacology

If a drug follows first-order kinetics, what happens to the rate of elimination as the plasma concentration increases?

  1. The rate of elimination remains constant regardless of concentration
  2. The rate of elimination increases proportionally
  3. The rate of elimination decreases steadily
  4. The rate of elimination becomes zero
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Correct answer: The rate of elimination increases proportionally

In first-order kinetics, the elimination rate is directly proportional to the drug concentration. As more drug is present, the body clears a larger absolute amount per unit of time, though the fraction cleared remains the same.

Difficulty: Medium Question 15 of 20

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