Questions: The patient took the medication suggested by their doctor to fight a bacterial infection. The dose was determined based on their mass, and they took the medication at the suggested intervals. The patient began to face more severe side effects than usually anticipated, and it was found that the level of the medication in their blood was much higher than it should be. What may have caused these effects? The bacterial infection could not be treated by this drug. The drug was not able to kill the bacteria. The patient may have liver disease. The patient could not absorb the medication through the gastrointestinal tract.

The answer is the third one: The patient may have liver disease.

Explanation for each option:

1. The bacterial infection could not be treated by this drug.
   This option suggests that the drug is ineffective against the bacteria, but it does not explain why the medication level in the blood is higher than expected. If the drug were ineffective, the bacteria would persist, but it wouldn't cause an increase in drug concentration in the blood.

2. The drug was not able to kill the bacteria.
   Similar to the first option, this implies that the drug is ineffective, but it doesn't account for the elevated drug levels in the bloodstream. The inability to kill bacteria would result in persistent infection, not increased drug concentration.

3. The patient may have liver disease.
   This is the correct answer. The liver is responsible for metabolizing many medications. If the patient has liver disease, their liver may not be able to metabolize the drug efficiently, leading to higher levels of the drug in the bloodstream and more severe side effects.

4. The patient could not absorb the medication through the gastrointestinal tract.
   If the patient could not absorb the medication, the drug levels in the blood would be lower, not higher. This option does not explain the increased concentration of the drug in the blood.

In summary, the most likely cause of the higher-than-expected medication levels and severe side effects is that the patient may have liver disease, which impairs the metabolism of the drug.