Patients, especially older adults and those with chronic diseases, are at risk for what if their organs that metabolize medications do not function properly?

When organs that metabolize medications, such as the liver and kidneys, do not function properly, there is a significant risk of medication toxicity. This occurs because impaired organ function can lead to the accumulation of medications in the body. When drugs are not metabolized appropriately, their concentrations can rise to toxic levels, causing adverse effects and potentially harming the patient.

In older adults and individuals with chronic diseases, these risks are magnified due to age-related changes in organ function and the possibility of polypharmacy, where multiple medications are used concurrently. This can complicate the situation further, as interactions or accumulation can increase the chance of adverse reactions. Therefore, close monitoring of medication dosages, effects, and patient response is essential in these populations to avoid toxicity.

The other options—medication efficacy, absorption, and distribution—are affected differently and may not be directly related to the improper function of metabolizing organs in the same way that toxicity is. Efficacy refers to the effectiveness of a medication in achieving its intended goals, while absorption and distribution deal more with how a drug enters the bloodstream and is spread throughout the body, rather than its breakdown and elimination, which are crucial in understanding toxicity risk.