The Pharmacokinetics of Droperidol in Anesthetized Patients

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Abstract
A pharmacokinetic study of droperidol was performed in ten anesthetized patients receiving an intravenous bolus dose of 150 .mu.g/kg of droperidol. Plasma concentrations were measured using a specific radioimmunoassay method. The pharmacokinetics of droperidol can be described according to a three-compartment open model. The mean (.+-.SD) half-life for the rapid (t1/2.pi.) and slow distribution (t1/2.alpha.) phases was 1.4 .+-. 0.5 min and 14.3 .+-. 6.5 min, respectively. The mean elimination half-life, t1/2.beta. was 103.8 .+-. 20.2 min. The mean (.+-.SD) total body clearance was 14.1 .+-. 44 ml .cntdot. min-1 .cntdot. kg-1, and the total apparent volume of distribution (Vd.beta.) was 2.04 .+-. 0.50 l/kg. The short terminal half-life of droperidol does not correlate with the well-known, relatively prolonged duration of its pharmacologic action.

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