Valproate - serum
Last updated: Tuesday, 30, March, 2004
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | 5 mL blood in plain tube. |
| Method | Immunoassay, chromatography. |
| Therapeutic Interval | 350-700 µmol/L (50-100 mg/L). |
| Application | Therapeutic drug monitoring. |
| Interpretation | Levels must be related to the time since previous dose. Occasionally, hepatotoxicity may occur with serum levels <700 µmol/L (<100 mg/L). The half-life is about 6-20 hours, but is shorter when valproate is given in combination with other anticonvulsants. |
| Reference | Gugler R and von Unruh GE. Clin Pharmacokinet 1980; 5: 67-83. Bowden CL. Bipolar Disord 2003; 5(3): 189-202. |