| Ordering Code | 717 |
|---|---|
| Test Name | Carbamazepine |
| Alias | Carbatrol Epitol Equitrol |
| Preferred Specimen | Plasma |
| Preferred Container | Lithium Heparin PST (Green) |
| Other Specimen/Container | Plasma in EDTA, K2 (Lavender), Serum in Plain (Red), Serum in SST (Gold) |
| Optimum Volume | 1 mL |
| Collection Instructions | Trough: Collect trough specimen just before the next dose. |
| Handling Instructions | All specimen types must be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection. If no gel separation present in tube and testing is delayed, plasma/serum is aliquoted from cells within 2 hours of collection Send aliquot if transport time >24 hours. |
| Transport Requirements | Oahu: Refrigerated Airline: Refrigerated (Aliquot) |
| Specimen Stability | Refrigerated: 1 Day (Centrifuged, unaliquoted gel separator tube), 1 Month (Aliquot) Frozen: 3 Months (Aliquot) Frozen: 4 Weeks (Aliquot) |
| Rejection Criteria | Insufficient quantity, Specimen older than stability limits, Uncentrifuged gel separator tube specimens >2 hours old, Unaliquoted gel separator tube specimens >24 hours old |
| Avail. Stat | YES |
| Analytic Time | 1 Day |
| Methodology | Homogenous Enzyme Immunoassay (EMIT) |
Reference range(s)
The reference ranges listed below are valid on this date of March 27, 2026.
| Component | Age | Male Norm | Male Critical Low | Male Critical High | Female Norm | Female Critical High | Female Critical Low | Units | Add'l info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbamazepine | ALL | 4.0-12.0 | >= 15.0 | 4.0-12.0 | >= 15.0 | ug/mL |