Dosing in hepatic impairment

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Hepatic Metabolism - The Liver's Tollbooth

  • First-Pass Metabolism: Liver extracts a portion of drug from portal circulation before it reaches systemic circulation. Hepatic impairment ↓ this effect, ↑ bioavailability of high-extraction drugs (e.g., opioids, propranolol).
    • Hepatic Clearance: $Cl_H = Q_H \times E_H$ (Flow x Extraction Ratio)
  • Metabolic Pathways:
    • Phase I (Oxidation/Reduction): Primarily via CYP450 enzymes. More sensitive to liver damage.
    • Phase II (Conjugation): Glucuronidation, sulfation. Better preserved in cirrhosis.
  • Protein Binding: ↓ synthesis of albumin in cirrhosis → ↑ free fraction of highly protein-bound drugs (e.g., phenytoin, warfarin).

First-pass metabolism diagram

Exam Favorite: Drugs primarily metabolized by Phase II conjugation (e.g., Lorazepam, Oxazepam, Temazepam - "LOT") are preferred in patients with significant liver disease as their clearance is less affected.

Child-Pugh Score - Grading the Damage

  • A clinical tool to assess the prognosis and severity of chronic liver disease, guiding dose adjustments for hepatically cleared drugs.
  • Scoring is based on five clinical and lab measures, each graded 1-3 points based on increasing severity.
  • 📌 Mnemonic: Pour Another Beer At Eleven
    • PT/INR
    • Ascites
    • Bilirubin (Total)
    • Albumin
    • Encephalopathy (Hepatic)

⭐ The Child-Pugh score's inclusion of subjective variables (Ascites, Encephalopathy) is a key limitation. The MELD score, relying solely on objective labs, is often preferred for transplant allocation lists.

Dosing Strategy - The Hepatic Shuffle

  • High Extraction Ratio (ER > 0.7) Drugs

    • Metabolism is flow-dependent.
    • Cirrhosis → portosystemic shunting → ↓ first-pass effect → ↑ oral bioavailability.
    • Action: Significantly ↓ oral doses. IV doses require less adjustment.
    • Examples: Morphine, Lidocaine, Propranolol, Verapamil.
  • Low Extraction Ratio (ER < 0.3) Drugs

    • Metabolism is capacity-dependent (relies on enzyme function).
    • Clearance is sensitive to intrinsic liver damage.
    • Action: Adjust dose based on Child-Pugh score; loading dose often unchanged.
      • Class A (Mild): Minimal change.
      • Class B (Mod): ↓ dose by 25-50%.
      • Class C (Severe): Avoid or ↓ dose by >50%.
    • Examples: Warfarin, Diazepam, Theophylline.

⭐ For highly protein-bound drugs (e.g., Warfarin, Phenytoin), ↓ albumin in cirrhosis leads to ↑ free drug fraction, potentiating toxicity even with normal total drug levels.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • Hepatic impairment profoundly ↓ drug metabolism, which ↑ drug half-life and the risk of toxicity.
  • Drugs with a high hepatic extraction ratio (e.g., propranolol, morphine) are most affected; their bioavailability can ↑ significantly due to reduced first-pass metabolism.
  • In contrast, low-extraction ratio drugs (e.g., warfarin, phenytoin) are less affected.
  • The Child-Pugh score is the clinical standard for assessing liver dysfunction to guide dose adjustments.
  • Prodrugs that require hepatic activation (e.g., codeine) may have reduced efficacy.

Practice Questions: Dosing in hepatic impairment

Test your understanding with these related questions

Two months after giving birth to a boy, a 27-year-old woman comes to the physician with her infant for a well-child examination. She was not seen by a physician during her pregnancy. Physical examination of the mother and the boy shows no abnormalities. Laboratory studies show elevated titers of hepatitis B surface antigen in both the mother and the boy. Which of the following statements regarding the infant's condition is most accurate?

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Flashcards: Dosing in hepatic impairment

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Daclizumab is contraindicated in patients with _____ impairment

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

Daclizumab is contraindicated in patients with _____ impairment

liver

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