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Geisinger Medical Laboratories Test Catalog
VALPROIC ACID, TOTAL AND FREE |
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Geisinger Epic Procedure Code: LAB1222
Geisinger Epic ID: 52813
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SPECIMEN COLLECTION |
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Specimen type: |
Serum (preferred) or plasma | |
Preferred collection container: |
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Alternate Collection Container: |
3 mL lavender-top (K2 EDTA) tube
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Specimen required: |
3 mL serum (preferred) or plasma; minimum 1.5 mL | |
Special notes: |
Do not use gel barrier tubes. | |
Patient preparation: |
Collect as a trough just before next dose. Optimum time to collect sample: 1 hour before next dose. | |
| SPECIMEN PROCESSING |
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Specimen processing instructions: |
Centrifuge and immediately separate serum or plasma specimens from the cells into clean, plastic, screw-cap vial(s). | |
Transport temperature: |
Refrigerated (cold packs). | |
Specimen stability: |
Room temperature: 48 hours. Refrigerated: 7 days. Frozen: 30 days. | |
Rejection criteria: |
Do not use serum separator tubes. Submission of a serum separator tube will result in cancellation. | |
TEST DETAILS |
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CPT code(s): |
80164, 80165 | |
| 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 |
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Synonyms: |
Quest test code 6651, Valp Tot+Fr
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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. | |