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Volume of Distribution

Vd

Definition

A theoretical volume that relates the total amount of drug in the body to its plasma concentration. A large Vd indicates the drug distributes extensively into tissues, while a small Vd suggests the drug remains primarily in the blood.

Example

Chloroquine has a very high Vd (~200 L) because it concentrates in tissues, while warfarin has a low Vd (~8 L) because it stays mostly in the blood bound to albumin.

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