Factors influencing the excretion and relative physiological availability of pethidine in man.

Factors influencing the urinary excretion of pethidine, norpethidine and pethidine N-oxide have been examined. The proportion of a dose of pethidine excreted unchanged or as norpethidine depends on the urinary pH and the route of administration. Older people appear to metabolize more of the drug and therefore excrete less unchanged pethidine. The rate of excretion of pethidine in acid urine is directly proportional to the plasma pethidine concentration and under these conditions the relative physiological availability of pethidine has been determined. It has not been possible to explain variations in the amount of pethidine excreted as the N-oxide.