The main organs responsible for drug excretion are the kidneys (renal excretion<\/a>) and the liver (biliary excretion<\/a>).\n Other organs can be involved in excretion, such as the lungs for \nvolatile or gaseous agents. Drugs can also partially be excreted into \nsweat, saliva and tears. Breast milk is another pathway for drug \nexcretion. Milk is more acidic than plasma; therefore, basic compounds \ncan slightly concentrate in milk. This is an important factor for the \nestimation of the amount of drug administered to the breastfed baby.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drugs that are excreted in the urine or bile are \nhydrosoluble. Lipophilic drugs cannot be excreted before metabolism into\n more polar compounds. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clearance<\/a> is a pharmacokinetic parameter that characterizes drug elimination through metabolism<\/a> and\/or excretion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drugs mainly eliminated through excretion in an \nunchanged form are not subject to metabolic interactions. Their \nexcretion may be affected by dysfunctions of the kidney or liver, due to\n age, disease or comedication (in particular drugs that are excreted \nthrough active transport). This results in decrease in drug clearance \nand increase in its elimination half-life. Therefore, in these \nsituations, the drug dose and dosing interval must be adapted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Combination of mechanisms by which a drug is irreversibly transferred from the systemic circulation into extracorporal fluids (e.g. urine or bile)” Description The main organs responsible for drug excretion are the kidneys (renal excretion) and the liver (biliary excretion). Other organs can be involved in excretion, such as the lungs for volatile or gaseous agents. … <\/p>\nClinical implications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n