Area Under the Curve

Synonyms

AUC

Definition

The area under curve, AUC, corresponds to the integral of the plasma concentration versus an interval of definite time. In practice, the approximation is used: AUC = f([C] × Dt), where [C] is the measured concentration and Dt is the interval of time between two measurements. The precision of the AUC grows with the number of measurements of concentration taken. The AUC is expressed in mass (mg, g) × L⁻¹ × h.

Cross-References

• Bioavailability

• Elimination Half-Life

• Pharmacokinetics