Antifungal therapeutic drug monitoringDownloads

A 65-year-old female patient with a past medical history of diabetes mellitus and an allergy to penicillin develops an infected abscess positive for MRSA on the third day of her hospital stay. She is started on an IV infusion of vancomycin at a dose of 1000 mg every 12 hours. Vancomycin is eliminated by first-order kinetics and has a half life of 6 hours. The volume of distribution of vancomycin is 0.5 L/kg. Assuming no loading dose is given, how long will it take for the drug to reach 94% of its plasma steady state concentration?

A laboratory physician investigates the chromosomes of a fetus with a suspected chromosomal anomaly. She processes a cell culture obtained by amniocentesis. Prior to staining and microscopic examination of the fetal chromosomes, a drug that blocks cell division is added to the cell culture. In order to arrest chromosomes in metaphase, the physician most likely added a drug that is also used for the treatment of which of the following conditions?