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Test Code CARBAM Carbamazepine LAB21

Performing Laboratory

UnityPoint Finley Hospital

Test Method

Microparticle agglutination immunoassay; Roche cobas Pro

Performance

Testing is performed Monday through Sunday.

Routine: Typically completed within 4 hours after the specimen arrives at the testing site.

STAT: Typically completed within 1 hour after the specimen arrives at the testing site.

Specimen Requirement

  1. Lithium heparin plasma (green) is the specimen of choice. 500uL.
  2. Serum (red) or EDTA plasma (purple) is also acceptable: 500 mcL. Gel tubes are not acceptable.
  3. It is recommended that the serum or plasma be separated from contact with cells within 2 hours from time of collection.
  4. Carbamazepine specimens are stable for 2 days at 20-25°C or 7 days at 2-8°C. 
  5. Frozen specimens stored at -20°C are stable for 4 weeks. 

Useful For

Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant drug, used in particular for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, all forms of partial epilepsy, generalized tonic‑clonic seizures, and simple and complex partial seizures. In combination with other clinical information, monitoring carbamazepine levels provides physicians with an effective tool to aid in adjusting dosage and achieving optimal therapeutic effect while avoiding both subtherapeutic and toxic drug levels.

Reference Values

Therapeutic range: 4.0 - 12.0 ug/mL

Critical value: > 15.0 ug/mL

CPT Code Information

80156 Therapeutic Drug Levels, Carbamazepine; total