How Is Calculus Used in Medicine?
According to class notes from Bunker Hill Community College, calculus is often used in medicine in the field of pharmacology to determine the best dosage of a drug that is administered and its rate of dissolving. Usually, the drug is slowly dissolved in the stomach.
Bunker Hill Community College also states that the importance of regulating dosage is a priority and must be strictly monitored because dissolving rates for each drug are different. A drug that dissolves too quickly or too slowly could either cause toxicity or have no effect. In medicine, it is important to observe the drug’s therapeutic dosage and the range which is accepted for being safe and effective. It is desirable to have a drug that provides a long-term release as opposed to an immediate release. An immediate release of a drug is observed as having sharp peaks and drops in blood concentration.
The Noyes-Whitney equation is used to determine dosage rates of various drug forms. The equation defines the rate of dissolution of a drug in relation to its total surface area. Adjusting the surface area while it is exposed to either acidic or basic conditions alters the bioavailability of the drug in the patient’s circulatory system, according to Bunker Hill Community College.
