Final answer:
Whether the dosage of drug administration changes after self-administration depends on the type of drug and individual patient factors. Dosing adjustments are necessary to balance the therapeutic effects and avoid toxicity. It is crucial to consider patient history, drug half-life, and metabolism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to whether the dosage of drug administration changes if a patient has already self-administered is D. Depends on the type of drug administered. It is critical to take into account the amount of medication already taken by the patient to avoid the risk of overdose or underdose. The new dosage would take into consideration various factors such as:
- The patient's body mass, especially in children's dosing, where dosing is usually mass dependent.
- The patient's liver and kidney functions which affect drug metabolism and clearance.
- The half-life of the drug, which affects how frequently the medication should be administered.
- The severity of the patient's condition.
- The possibility of adverse effects or allergic reactions.
Pharmacists or physicians would need to recalculate the dosage while considering the patient's medical history and the amount of the drug already in the system. Often, the dosage will decrease if the patient has taken some amount of the drug to avoid potentially harmful levels of the drug in the bloodstream. In summary, the dosage can vary greatly and should be adjusted with a full understanding of the medication's pharmacokinetics and the patient's physiology.