Specimen Requirements

Title

Digoxin

Specimen Requirement

1 SST/1.0 mL serum (0.4 mL minimum). After 30 minutes of clotting, promptly centrifuge and refrigerate serum. Specimen should be obtained 6-12 hours after dose. Cannot be accurately measured if patient is on Digoxin.

Methodology

Stability

Refrigerated: 7 days; Frozen: 6 months

Reference Range

BY REPORT

Turnaround

1 day

Clinical Use

Digoxin, extracted from the leaves of the digitalis lanata plant, increases the strength of heart muscle contractions and is useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Digoxin slows the electrical conduction between the atria and ventricles of the heart, which makes it useful in treating atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrial tachycardia.

Test Code

DIG