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A drug is administered as a continuous intravenous infusion at a rate of 2 mg/h. The drug follows zero-order kinetics with a half-life (t1/2) of 6 hours. Calculate the steady-state concentration (Css) of the drug.

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Final answer:

The steady-state concentration (Css) of a continuously infused drug following zero-order kinetics cannot be calculated with the provided information alone, as additional pharmacokinetic parameters are needed beyond the half-life and rate of administration.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the steady-state concentration (Css) of a drug administered continuously at a rate of 2 mg/h and following zero-order kinetics with a half-life of 6 hours, we make use of the zero-order kinetics equation. In zero-order kinetics, the rate of drug elimination is constant and not dependent on the drug concentration. The formula to find the Css is given by:

Css = rate of administration / rate of elimination

Since the drug follows zero-order kinetics, the rate of elimination is constant, which is equal to the rate of administration at steady state. However, it's important to note that for zero-order kinetics, the half-life is not constant and depends on the concentration of the drug. As the concentration decreases, so does the half-life, opposite to what we see with first-order kinetics where the half-life remains constant.

To find the steady-state concentration using the half-life provided, we need additional information such as the volume of distribution or the elimination rate. This information is not provided in the question, and therefore, we cannot accurately calculate the Css without it.

A direct calculation for Css from the provided data, without additional pharmacokinetic parameters, is not possible.

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