Levetiracetam
Test Mnemonic
LEVET
CPT Codes
- 80177 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
30471-7
Aliases
- Keppra
Performing Laboratory
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Serum | No additive (Red) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Plasma | EDTA (Navy Blue) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. | |
| 1 mL | Plasma | No additive (Navy Blue) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. | |
| 1 mL | Plasma | EDTA (Pink) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. | |
| 1 mL | Plasma | Sodium heparin (Navy) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. | |
| 1 mL | Plasma | EDTA (Royal blue) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. | |
| 1 mL | Plasma | Sodium or Lithium heparin (Green) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. | |
| 1 mL | Plasma | EDTA (Lavender) | Refrigerated | Do not use tubes containing cell separator gel. Centrifuge and transfer serum/plasma to a clean, tightly sealed tube as soon as possible after collection. Refrigerate sample for transport. |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | 1 week |
| Frozen | 1 month |
Days Performed
Mon - Fri
Turnaround Time
1 - 4 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) |
Reference Range
| Levetiracetam | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Normal | 12.0-46.0 | ug/mL |
Special Info
Collect specimen immediately prior to next dose. Remove plasma/serum from whole blood as soon as possible, preferably within 1 hour after collection. Hydrolysis of levetiracetam may occur in the presence of whole blood. Levetiracetam samples that are not separated from red cells within 48 hours of collection or hemolyzed samples not analyzed within 48 hours are rejected and credited. This test is not suitable for patients receiving treatment with the drug brivaracetam (Briviact). The drug causes an interference that may lead to falsely elevated levetiracetam results. Brivaracetam (Briviact) interferes with measurements of levetiracetam (Keppra) in the levetiracetam assay. Patients undergoing a switch in drug therapy involving Keppra and Briviact should not be monitored for levetiracetam using the assay. Brivaracetam is a chemical analog of levetiracetam. They are structurally similar and thus immunochemical crossreactivity is possible. The circulating half-life of each drug is approximately 8 to 9 hours. Sufficient time should be allowed for clearance prior to using the Levetiracetam Assay. Please contact Client Services at 216-444-5755 for suitable testing.