Specimen Requirements

Title

Carbamazepine-10,11 Epoxide

Specimen Requirement

Collect red top or green top heparin, separate serum/plasma from cells immediately, transfer 1.0 mL serum/plasma to a screw top transport tube, indicate sample type on tube and send.

Do not use SST. The use of gel-barrier tubes is not recommended due to slow absorption of the drug by the gel. Depending on the specimen volume and storage time, the decrease in drug level due to absorption may be clinically significant.

Methodology

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS)

Stability

Room temp: 14 days, Refrigerated: 14 days, Frozen: 14 days

Reference Range

By report*

Turnaround

5-8 days

Clinical Use

Carbamazepine-10,11 epoxide has anticonvulsant activity similar to that of the parent compound. The half-life averages six hours and is 60% bound to protein. This heterocyclic (iminostilbene) compound has potent antiepileptic properties and is effective alone or with other antiepileptic drugs in partial seizures, especially complex partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and combinations of these seizure types. Carbamazepine generally is ineffective for absence, myoclonic, and atonic seizures.

Test Code

CARBW