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Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

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VALPROIC ACID LEVEL

Geisinger Epic Procedure Code:  LAB3230    Geisinger Epic ID:  14240

SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type: 

Plasma or serum


Preferred collection container: 
Specimen required: 

2 mL aliquot of plasma or serum; minimum 0.2 mL


Patient preparation: 

Collect just prior to next dose.



SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Processing instructions: 

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum or plasma within 2 hours of collection.


Transport temperature: 

Refrigerated (preferred) or frozen.


Specimen stability: 

Room temperature: 2 days. Refrigerated: 1 week. Frozen: 4 weeks.


Rejection criteria: 

Stability limits exceeded.



TEST DETAILS
Reference interval: 

50-100 mcg/mL


Critical values/courtesy alerts: 
Above 121 mcg/mL.
Additional information: 

Significant interference with this procedure may occur in patients with antibodies induced during treatment with mouse monoclonal antibodies.


CPT code(s):  80164
Note: The billing party has sole responsibility for CPT coding.  Any questions regarding coding should be directed to the payer being billed.
The CPT codes provided by GML are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only.

Methodology: 
Immunoassay
Synonyms: 

Depakene, Depakote, VALP, Valproate


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.


Doctoral Director(s): 
Hoi-Ying Elsie Yu, PhD, DABCC, FADLM
Sheng-Ying (Margaret) Lo, PhD, DABCC
Review Date:  12/27/2024

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