44.7k views
0 votes
Dr. Many ordered to give Vicodin tab. 100mg po for severe headaches. You were made aware this is every 12 hours. After 12 hours you taken this meds, what's the half-life left in your body?

User MrApnea
by
7.0k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The half-life of a drug remains constant and for hydrocodone, a component of Vicodin, it is approximately 3.8 hours. After 12 hours, the concentration of the drug in the body would have diminished significantly, but the half-life does not change.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question after 12 hours you taken this meds, what's the half-life left in your body? is asking about the pharmacokinetics of the medication Vicodin, which contains hydrocodone. Hydrocodone is an opioid used for moderate to moderately severe pain management and is commonly paired with acetaminophen. The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for half of the drug quantity to be eliminated from the body.

For hydrocodone, the typical half-life is approximately 3.8 hours, but can vary based on individual metabolism and other factors. However, the question is phrased incorrectly as it asks for the half-life 'left in your body' after 12 hours. To clarify, after 12 hours, the specific amount or concentration of the drug left in the body would be less than the initial dose, but the half-life remains a constant property of the drug itself.

User Rowe
by
7.9k points