Dosing paracetamol in adults with respect to body weight and pharmacokinetics: determination by computer simulation
2011
Abstract
The current licensed (hereafter traditional) dosage of paracetamol in adults (0.5-1 g p.o., repeated if necesary not earlier than in 4 h intervals to a max. of 4 g daily) was determined several decades ago when mean body weight of men and women was much lower than at present and when knowledge of pharmacokinetics of paracetamol was limited. The first aim of the present study was to ascertain impact of this traditional dosage on plasma concentrations of paracetamol in a model person with mean body weight of contemporary men (87 kg) using a computer simulation.
The second aim was to find paracetamol doses necessary to produce Cmin. 10 mg/l in plasma in persons with different body weights (35, 65 or 100 kg).