10-23-2008, 04:19 AM
The correct answer is B. All drugs (substances in general) are eliminated from the body by means of either renal or hepatic clearance or both. This is one of the most important concepts known by physicians. Almost every patient that presents to inpatient medical services today has some impairment of one or both of these mechanisms. This must be kept in mind when prescribing any drug. In the case of this patient, renal antibiotic dosing schedules for variable renal function are available to every student and house officer and should be consulted regularly. This patient has a creatinine of 2.1 mg/dL, reflecting abnormal renal function.