Question

Explain what a maintenance dose is and what a loading dose is (2 sentences max).

Answer 1

A loading dose of a drug is a higher amount of drug which given to patients initially during staring a drug therapy to reach a therapeutic level of drug in the body. It is used for the drugs that have a lower elimination rate and requires a lower maintenance dose daily.

A maintenance dose is a lower amount of drug which given after a loading dose to maintain a therapeutic level of drug in the body with drugs that has a lower elimination rate.

Example for understanding it better-

Think X drug has an elimination rate of 10% per day. and its therapeutic level is 500mg.

Then if you administer 500 mg daily then

1st day you gave 500 mg - drug in body 500 mg

2nd day you gave 500 mg - drug level in body 950mg (10% eliminated)

3rd day you gave 500 mg - drug level in the body 1355mg (10% eliminated)

Then drug level will continuously increase, which can be toxic

But in same case -

if you will give a loading dose of 500 mg followed by maintenance dose 100mg daily, then

1st day you gave 500 mg - drug in body 500 mg

2nd day you gave 100 mg - drug in body 500 mg(10% eliminated)

3rd day you gave 100 mg - drug in body 500 mg(10% eliminated)