Therapeutic Drug Department

Digoxin

Patient Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum

Container

• 1 mL serum collected in a red-top tube (no gel)

Collection Instructions

• inversion for glass (0x)

• inversions for plastic (5-10x)

Storage Instructions

• Room temp or Refrigerated

Aliases

• Lanoxicaps

• Lanoxin

Why this test?

• measures the amount of the medication digoxin in your blood. Its main purpose is to ensure your dose is within a safe, effective therapeutic range and to prevent dangerous digoxin toxicity, because the gap between a helpful dose and a toxic one is very small.

Dilantin/Phenytoin

Patient Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum

Container

• 1 mL serum collected in a red-top tube (no gel)

Collection Instructions

• inversion for glass (0x)

• inversions for plastic (5-10x)

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate

Aliases

• Dilantin, Free

• Dilantin, Total and Free

• Diphenylan

• Diphenylhydantoin

• Fosphenytoin

• Free Dilantin

• Free Phenytoin

• Phenytek

• pheyntoin blood concentration

• Protein Free Phenytoin

Why this test?

• measures the amount of the anti-seizure medication phenytoin in your blood. Doctors use it to make sure the dosage controls seizures effectively, avoid dangerous drug toxicity, and adjust treatment when other health factors or medications change

Lithium

Patient Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum or plasma

Container

• Plain red, lavender (K2EDTA), or pink (K2EDTA)

Collection Instructions

• inversion for glass (0x)

• inversions for plastic (5-10x)

Storage Instructions

• Frozen or refrigerated or room temp

Aliases

• Eskalith

• Lithane

• Lithobid

Why this test?

• primarily used to ensure your prescribed lithium dose for bipolar disorder stays within a safe and effective therapeutic range (usually 0.6 to 1.2 mmol/L), prevent lithium toxicity, and guide dosage adjustments

Phenobarbital

Patient Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum

Container

• Plain red. Also acceptable: Green (sodium heparin)

Collection Instructions

• inversion for glass (0x)

• inversions for plastic (5-10x)

• for sodium heparin: (8-10x)

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate

Aliases

• Luminal

Why this test?

• measures the concentration of the anti-seizure medication phenobarbital in your blood stream. Doctors use it to ensure your drug dosage stays within a safe and effective therapeutic range—preventing seizures if levels are too low, or avoiding toxic side effects if levels are too high

Carbamazepine (TEGRETOL)

Patient Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum

Container

• Plain red tube

Collection Instructions

• Separate from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection. Transfer 2 mL serum to an ARUP Standard Transport Tube

• invert 5-10x for plastic

• invert 0x for glass

Storage Instructions

• Room temp/Refrigerated

Aliases

• Protein Free Carbamazepine

• Epitol

• Epimaz

• Epitrol

• Finlepsin

• Atretol

• Biston

• Calesin

• Carbamazepine, Free

• Free Tegretol

• Carbatrol

• Sirtal

• Free Carbamazepine

• Equetro

• Tegretol, Free

• Telesmin

Why this test?

• to measure and monitor the concentration of the medication in your blood to ensure it stays within a safe and effective therapeutic range

Valproic Acid (DEPAKOTE)

Patient Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum

Container

• Plain red

Collection Instructions

• Separate serum from cells within 2 hours of collection. Transfer 2 mL serum to an ARUP standard transport tube. (Min: 1 mL)

• invert 5-10x for plastic

• invert 0x for glass

Storage Instructions

• Room temp / Refrigerated

Aliases

• Depacon

• Depakene, Free

• Depakote, Free

• Dipropylacetic Acid

• Eplim

• Free Valproate

• Free Valproic Acid

• Free VPA

• Orlept

• Protein Free Valproic Acid

• Stavzor, Free

• Valproate

• valproic acid blood level

• VPA blood level

Why this test?

• to measure the amount of the medication in your blood to make sure the dose is safe and effective

Vancomycin

Specimen Preparation

• Collect as a trough just prior to next dose (which means to draw a blood or laboratory sample immediately before a patient's next scheduled medication dose is administered)

Specimen

• serum

Container

• Plain red

Collection Instructions

• Separate from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection. Transfer 0.5 mL serum to an ARUP standard transport tube. (Min: 0.25 mL) Test is not performed at ARUP; separate specimens must be submitted when multiple tests are ordered

• invert 5-10x for plastic

• invert 0x for glass

Storage Instructions

• Room temp/ Refrigerated/ or Frozen

Aliases

• antimicrobial assay

• Vancomycin Hydrochloride

• Antibiotic assay

Why this test?

• A vancomycin blood test measures the concentration of the antibiotic vancomycin in a person's blood to ensure the dose is safe and effective