Vd
Medical abbreviation · Pharmacology
| Stands for | Volume of distribution |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
Vd stands for Volume of distribution, a pharmacology abbreviation.
Theoretical volume that would be needed to contain the total amount of drug in the body at the concentration measured in plasma. Drugs that concentrate in tissues, such as amiodarone or chloroquine, have very large Vd values.
Example: Vd for gentamicin is about 0.25 L/kg, higher in septic patients with edema.
Usage notes
Vd is used to calculate loading doses: loading dose equals Vd multiplied by the target concentration. It is "apparent" because values can exceed total body water many times over. Drugs with large Vd are poorly removed by hemodialysis, which matters in overdose management.
Related abbreviations
More pharmacology abbreviations
- ADA – Anti-drug antibodies
- ADE – Adverse drug event
- ADME – Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion
- ADR – Adverse drug reaction
- AE – Adverse event
- ATC – Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification
- AUC – Area under the curve
- BAN – British Approved Name
- BBW – Black box warning
- BE – Bioequivalence
- Cmax – Maximum concentration
- Css – Steady-state concentration
See all 36 pharmacology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.