
28 Computational Pharmacokinetics
FIGURE 2.2: Plasma profiles after different types of single dose administra-
tions. The dose absorbed is the same for all curves.
An illustration is given in Figure 2.2 of the effect of an absorption process,
as opposed to a prompt bolus. Note that according to the theory above the
area (to infinity) under all these curves is the same. Also note the relationship
between t
max
and C
max
: the later the former, the smaller the latter. In fact,
for this particular case t
max
occurs when the plasma curve intersects the
bolus-curve, because we have F =1.
If the absorption rate k
a
is small enough, it may even be smaller than
the slow ...