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 mLSerumNo 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 mLPlasmaEDTA (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 mLPlasmaNo 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 mLPlasmaEDTA (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 mLPlasmaSodium 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 mLPlasmaEDTA (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 mLPlasmaSodium 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 mLPlasmaEDTA (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
Refrigerated1 week
Frozen1 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
       Normal12.0-46.0ug/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.