| Test Name: | Carbamazepine |
| Epic Order Code: | LAB21 | | |
| CPT Code: | 80156 | | |
| Specimen(s) Type: | Serum | | |
| Acceptable Container(s): |  Top is red. |
| Testing Schedule: | 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week |
| Turn Around Time: | STAT: 1 hour | | |
| | Routine: 2 hours | | |
| Collection Information: | No special patient preparation is required. Obtain specimen by standard collection procedures. |
| Transport Information: | Deliver to lab immediately. All specimens must be signed into the laboratory. |
| Reference Clients: | If unable to deliver to the lab within 1 hour, centrifuge the specimen and remove serum from the red cells. Store and transport at 2-8° C. Specimen must be received in the lab within 24 hours. |
| Causes for Rejection: | Improperly labeled, incorrect container, contaminated, insufficient quantity, incorrect/delay in transport. |
| Reference Range: | Therapeutic: | 4.0 - 12.0 µg/mL |
| | Potentially toxic: | >12.1 µg/mL |
| Additional Information: | The possibility exists for interference by human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) in the sample, which could cause falsely elevated results. |
| | The incidence of patients with antibodies to E.Coli ß-galactosidase is extremely low. However, some samples containing such antibodies can result in artificially high carbamazepine results that do not fit the clinical profile. |