Single intravenous dose kinetics accumulation of atenolol in patients with impaired renal function and on hemodialysis.

The concentration of atenolol in plasma and urine was determined following an intravenous (i.v.) dose given to 17 hypertensive patients with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between 5 and 105 ml/min and in 4 patients on hemodialysis. In patients with normal renal function the mean half life of elimination was calculated to be 6.8 h. This value increased to a mean of 50.1 h in patients with a GFR below 10 ml/min. In patients on hemodialysis the half life of elimination was about 4 h. The elimination rate constants as well as the body and renal clearances of atenolol have a significant correlation with the GFR. Although accumulation of atenolol was observed, especially after multiple oral doses and in patients with a GFR below 30 ml/min, no toxic side effects occurred.