Valproic Acid

Valproic Acid

Test Code

916
80164
916
80164
Not offered in Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (IFD) – San Juan Capistrano. Please provide SERVICE AREA INFORMATION to find available tests you can order.
In-home collection may be available in your area for purchase through Quest Mobile.

Clinical Significance

Valproic Acid - 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.

Test Resources

Topic Brief

Drug Half-Life, Steady State, and Recommended Sample Collection Time

Test Details

Patient Preparation

Collect as a trough just prior to next dose

Methodology

Immunoassay (IA)

Reference Range(s)

50.0-100.0 mg/L

Alternative Name(s)

Depakote®,Dipropylacetic Acid,Depakene®,Divalproex

LOINC® Codes, Performing Laboratory

Service Area must be determined
Collect as a trough just prior to next dose

Methodology

Immunoassay (IA)

Reference Range(s)

50.0-100.0 mg/L

Alternative Name(s)

Depakote®,Dipropylacetic Acid,Depakene®,Divalproex
Service Area must be determined

Preferred Specimen(s)

1 mL serum collected in a red-top tube (no gel)

Alternative Specimen(s)

Plasma collected in: EDTA (lavender-top), sodium heparin (green-top), lithium heparin (green-top), sodium fluoride or potassium oxalate (gray-top), or 3.2% sodium citrate (light blue-top) tube

Minimum Volume

0.2 mL

Collection Instructions

Do not use gel barrier tubes. Centrifuge and immediately separate serum or plasma specimens from the cells into clean transport tube.

Transport Container

Transport tube

Transport Temperature

Room temperature

Specimen Stability

  • Room temperature: 5 days
  • Refrigerated: 7 days
  • Frozen: 30 days

Reject Criteria

Serum separator tube (SST)

Setup Schedule

Service Area must be determined
1 mL serum collected in a red-top tube (no gel)
Plasma collected in: EDTA (lavender-top), sodium heparin (green-top), lithium heparin (green-top), sodium fluoride or potassium oxalate (gray-top), or 3.2% sodium citrate (light blue-top) tube
0.2 mL
Do not use gel barrier tubes. Centrifuge and immediately separate serum or plasma specimens from the cells into clean transport tube.
Transport tube
Room temperature
Room temperature: 5 days
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 30 days
Serum separator tube (SST)
Service Area must be determined
Not offered in Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (IFD) – San Juan Capistrano. Please provide SERVICE AREA INFORMATION to find available tests you can order.
In-home collection may be available in your area for purchase through Quest Mobile.
Test Details

Clinical Significance

Test Resources

Reference ranges are provided as general guidance only. To interpret test results use the reference range in the laboratory report.

The CPT codes provided are based on AMA guidance and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payer being billed.

This material contains content from LOINC® (http://loinc.org). The LOINC Table, LOINC Table Core are copyright © 1995-2019, Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Committee and is available at no cost under the license at http://loinc.org/license.

The tests listed by specialty and category are a select group of tests offered. For a complete list of Quest Diagnostics tests, please adjust the filter options chosen, or refer to our Directory of Services.

Customize the test information for your Service Area