Final answer:
The student's question pertains to neonatal drug delivery, emphasizing the need to adjust aminoglycoside dosing due to neonates having increased ECF, potentially requiring higher dosages per kilogram. It also addresses that neonates may have increased unbound drug levels because of their lower protein binding capacity compared to adults.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to neonatal drug delivery and involves understanding the pharmacokinetics of administering medications, such as aminoglycosides, to neonates. Neonates have increased extracellular fluid (ECF) volume compared to adults, which can affect drug dosing. Specifically, aminoglycosides distribute in the ECF, hence there may be a need to adjust the dosage in neonates when compared to adults.
Concerning the statement on neonatal drug delivery, the typical recommendation is to increase the aminoglycoside dose due to increased ECF in neonates. This increased ECF volume means that the amount of drug given per kilogram of body weight may need to be higher to achieve therapeutic concentrations.
The acronym PB likely refers to protein binding, and neonates can have an increased free fraction of drugs because they have a lower protein binding capacity due to lower levels of plasma albumin and a higher proportion of fetal albumin, which has a lower binding capacity. This means that when comparing neonates with adults, neonates would potentially have increased levels of unbound (active) drug in their bloodstream.