title: Stability of drug concentrations in plasma stored in serum separator blood collection tubes.
abstract: The stability of therapeutic concentrations of 11 drugs (amikacin, carbamazepine, digoxin, gentamicin, lithium, methotrexate, phenobarbital, phenytoin, quinidine, theophylline, tobramycin) and two trace elements (copper and zinc) in plasma stored in serum separator ("Corvac" brand) blood collection tubes was investigated over a 1 week period of storage in the refrigerator. No significant change in concentration was noted for any analyte during the study period. Concentrations were also not significantly different from those observed during concurrent storage of the same plasma samples in nonserum separator ("Vacutainer" brand) blood collection tubes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Medicine, University of California Medical Center, San Diego 92103.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Coffee
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Briggs
mesh_terms: D001793:Blood Preservation; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations