title: Suitability of Becton Dickinson Vacutainer rapid serum tube for collecting and storing blood samples for antibiotic and anticonvulsant drug monitoring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the suitability of newly developed Becton Dickinson Vacutainer rapid serum tube (RST) for therapeutic drug monitoring of antibiotics and anticonvulsants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two pools of citrated whole blood were created by spiking high and low concentrations of gentamicin, vancomycin, phenytoin, lamotrigine and carbamazepine. After recalcification with 15 mmol/L calcium chloride, spiked whole blood was added into four different Becton Dickinson blood collection tubes: RST, serum separator tube, red top tube and polyethylene plain tube. Serum aliquots were collected at baseline (0 h), 2 h, 24 h, day 3 and day 7. Drug concentrations were measured in batch by HPLC and the Architect c8000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gentamicin and vancomycin concentrations were stable up to 7 days in all 4 blood collection tubes. Anticonvulsants results for the RST were stable and did not deviate substantially from those of the red top and plain tubes, and demonstrated better performance than the serum separator tubes that showed significant (≥10% bias, p<0.05) decrease in phenytoin and carbamazepine levels after 3 days of storage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RST provides acceptable drug stability over the course of 7 days for gentamicin, vancomycin, phenytoin and lamotrigine and over 3 days for carbamazepine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network,Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada; Dalhousie Medical Program in New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Colantonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Pui-Yuen
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5N5; Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. yu.chen@horizonNB.ca
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants