Question

A health care professional is talking to a patient about giving the correct dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) to the patient's infant. The health care professional explains that infants can absorb certain drugs at different rates than adults. Which of the following is a physiologic characteristic of infants that can later drug absorption?

A. delayed gastric emptying
B. increased gastric acidity
C. increased first-pass effect
D. greater protein-binding capacity

Answer 1

Increased gastric acidity is a physiologic characteristic of infants that can affect drug absorption.

Step-by-step explanation:

The physiologic characteristic of infants that can affect drug absorption is increased gastric acidity.

Infants have higher gastric acidity levels compared to adults, which can impact the absorption of certain drugs. Gastric acidity plays a role in the breakdown of drugs in the stomach, and higher acidity can affect how quickly and efficiently a drug is absorbed into the bloodstream.

For example, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is absorbed more rapidly in infants due to their increased gastric acidity, which is why it's important for healthcare professionals to ensure the correct dose is given to infants.