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Meperidine, Serum
Test Code411
CPT Codes
80362 (HCPCS: G0480)
Preferred Specimen
5 mL serum collected in a no additive (dark blue-top) tube
Minimum Volume
2 mL
Transport Temperature
Refrigerated (cold packs)
Specimen Stability
Room temperature: 72 hours
Refrigerated: 14 days
Frozen: 30 days
Refrigerated: 14 days
Frozen: 30 days
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Samples older than 72 hours and received at room temperature
Methodology
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
FDA Status
This test was developed and its analytical performance characteristics have been determined by Quest Diagnostics. It has not been cleared or approved by FDA. This assay has been validated pursuant to the CLIA regulations and is used for clinical purposes.
Setup Schedule
Sets up 5 days a week.
Report Available
Reports in 2 days.
Clinical Significance
Meperidine is a synthetic narcotic analgesic with one-eighth the potency of morphine on a weight basis. Meperidine falls into the broad general class of opioid analgesics. Normeperidine, the primary demethylated metabolite, has approximately one-half the analgesic potency of meperidine. Normeperidine does accumulate in plasma during the course of chronic therapy due to an apparent longer half-life than the parent meperidine. This accumulation (concentrations can exceed the parent) can be of clinical significance as normeperidine is two to three times more toxic than meperidine. Normeperidine is neurotoxic and acts as a convulsant leading to seizures as the primary sign of toxicity. Reference ranges for both meperidine and normeperidine vary according to dose and method of administration.
