If a drug with a narrow therapeutic window is administered intravenously, and a patient with significant peripheral edema receives a standard dose, which consequence is most likely?

💡 Explanation

The volume of distribution will be much larger in a patient with edema, because the drug distributes into the excess fluid, reducing the plasma concentration. Therefore, the concentration may fall below the therapeutic window, rather than being metabolized or cleared quickly, or having its protein binding affected directly.

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