[Determination of hepatic metabolic capacity: antipyrine pharmacokinetics in circulatory liver damage due to cardiac insufficiency].

As it was demonstrated in a study, antipyrin halftime and clearance totalis are prolonged resp. reduced in patients with circulatory liver damage due to cardiac failure in myocardial infraction (group H) and in patients with chronic congested liver due to diseases of the heart valves (group V). group H: t50,2 +/- 11,7 h, Cltot 27 +/- 13,3 ml. min-1; group V: t50 19,3 +/- 6,3 h, Cltot 21,9 +/- 8,6 ml. min-1. Those patients with acute myocardial infarction and normal liver condition had a prolonged half-time as well though the clearance was decreased just insignificantly (t50 12 +/- 4,9 h, Cltot 42,6 +/- 15,8 ml. min-1). In the three groups we obtained the expected biochemical results. There was only a slight correlation of both the antipyrin half-time and the clearance totalis to biochemical parameters, Conclusions: In chronic inflammatory liver diseases and other forms of hepatic malfunctions as well as in circulatory liver damages the antipyrin half-time is influenced. Because of this reason, reduction of metabolic capacity should be expected. It is referred to necessary adaptation of the drug doses if capacity limiting medicaments are administered to patients with circulatory liver damage.