Overview
- Digoxin
is well absorbed orally with minimal hepatic metabolism. - 27% protein bound.
- 85% renally excreted.
- Serum concentrations affected by concurrent drug therapy, renal clearance, and individual animal ability to metabolize drug therefore may be no correlation with oral dose.
Uses
Alone
- Monitoring of digoxin therapy for cardiac disease .
Result data
Normal (reference) values
- Therapeutic range 1-2 ng/ml.
Abnormal values
- Toxicity seen >2 ng/ml .
- Quinidine displaces digoxin from skeletal muscle binding sites and reduces renal clearance if used in combination digoxin dose should be reduced by 50%.
- Verapamil , amiodarone (possibly diltiazem , prazosin , spironolactone ), Hypokalemia and thyroid disturbances can increase toxicity.
- ACE inhibitors may reduce digoxin excretion.
