The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the one-sample abbreviated method for determination of the pharmacokinetic parameters of antipyrine in the elderly. Antipyrine pharmacokinetics were studied in 15 elderly women (mean age 86 years). Antipyrine (1 g) was administered orally and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by the one-sample (24 h) and multiple-sample (3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h) methods. Mean antipyrine clearance for the one-sample study (19.72 +/- 1.51) was almost identical to that obtained with the multiple-sample approach (20.73 +/- 1.57), and the two methods were very well correlated (r = 0.989). Relative standard deviations between individual clearances values for multiple-sample vs. one-sample studies averaged 1.6%. Values of elimination half-life were likewise very similar for the abbreviated (17.41 +/- 1.21) and complete (17.99 +/- 1.09) methods, with a significant correlation (r = 0.857). Although values were underestimated by 10% in the one-sample approach, no difference in the volume of distribution with the multiple-sample study was observed. When the unbiased volume of distribution value was determined from the total elimination curve against time, the influence of biased volume of distribution resulted in a 5.1% deviation in antipyrine clearance in the one sample method. The findings indicate that antipyrine pharmacokinetic parameters can be estimated with reasonable precision and accuracy in the elderly using a simplified one-sample procedure.