The peripheral compartment comprises which tissues?

The peripheral compartment comprises which tissues?

• A. The intravascular space and major organs
• B. The brain and spinal cord
• C. The heart and lungs
• D. The vessel-poor group; skeletal muscles, fat, and skin

Answer: (D)

Distinguish where a drug goes first after entering the bloodstream versus where it moves more slowly. The central (or vessel-rich) compartment includes the intravascular space and highly perfused organs, which get drug rapidly. The peripheral (or vessel-poor) compartment consists of tissues with lower blood flow and larger mass, where distribution occurs more slowly. The tissues that belong to the peripheral compartment are skeletal muscle, fat, and skin. These areas have relatively low perfusion compared with organs like the brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, so they equilibrate with plasma more slowly and can act as a reservoir for certain drugs.

Distinguish where a drug goes first after entering the bloodstream versus where it moves more slowly. The central (or vessel-rich) compartment includes the intravascular space and highly perfused organs, which get drug rapidly. The peripheral (or vessel-poor) compartment consists of tissues with lower blood flow and larger mass, where distribution occurs more slowly.

The tissues that belong to the peripheral compartment are skeletal muscle, fat, and skin. These areas have relatively low perfusion compared with organs like the brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, so they equilibrate with plasma more slowly and can act as a reservoir for certain drugs.