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Valproic Acid, Total and Free
Test Code6651
CPT Codes
80164, 80165
Preferred Specimen
3 mL serum collected in a red-top tube (no gel)
Patient Preparation
Collect as a trough just before next dose.
Optimum time to collect sample: 1 hour before next dose.
Minimum Volume
1.5 mL
Other Acceptable Specimens
Plasma collected in: EDTA (lavender-top) tube
Instructions
Do not use gel barrier tubes. Centrifuge and immediately separate serum or plasma specimens from the cells into clean, plastic, screw-cap vial(s).
Do not use serum separator tubes. Submission of a serum separator tube will result in cancellation.
Do not use serum separator tubes. Submission of a serum separator tube will result in cancellation.
Transport Container
Plastic screw-cap vial(s)
Transport Temperature
Refrigerated (cold packs)
Specimen Stability
Room temperature: 48 hours
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 30 days
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 30 days
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Serum separator tube (SST)
Methodology
Immunoassay (IA)
Setup Schedule
Set up: Mon-Sat; Report available: Next day
Reference Range
See Laboratory Report
Clinical Significance
Valproic acid is used as an anticonvulsant to treat certain types of seizures, to prevent migraine headaches, and to treat various psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder and aggression. Drugs that compete for protein-binding sites with Valproic Acid, can increase the concentration of Valproic Acid. Therapeutic drug monitoring is useful to optimize dose. Measurement of the free concentration is useful if toxicity is suspected.