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Do evacuated blood collection tubes interfere with therapeutic drug monitoring?

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Abstract

The influence of various brands of evacuated blood collection systems (the old type, red stoppered Vacutainer®; the new type, blue stoppered Vacutainer®; Monoject® and Venoject®) on therapeutic drug monitoring was investigated. No interferences were found in the assay of ethosuximide, phenobarbital, phenytoin, valproic acid, digitoxin, digoxin, procainamide, gentamicin and theophylline.

Using Monoject® and old type Vacutainer® tubes, lower levels were found in the disopyramide assay: 91.3±4.6% (p<0.05) and 91.7±7.0% (not significant) respectively, and in the quinidine assay: 82.8±6.7% (p<0.02) and 83.9±4.4% (p<0.001) respectively as compared with glass tubes. In the carbamazepine assay a decrease was found in the Monoject® tubes only: 93.7±1.7% (p<0.01). The stoppers of Monoject® tubes and the old type Vacutainer® tubes contained the plasticizer tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate (tbep), which has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of the binding of several drugs to α1-acid glycoprotein.

Using the new type Vacutainer® and the Venoject®, no interferences were found.

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Author notes

  1. R. Janknegt

    Present address: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Medical Centre Alkmaar, Van Everdingenstraat 18, 1814, HA Alkmaar, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Roman Catholic Hospital Sittard, Walramstraat 23, 6131, BK Sittard, The Netherlands

    R. Janknegt, J. J. H. M. Lohman, P. M. Hooymans & F. W. H. M. Merkus

  2. Department of Biopharmaceutics, University of Amsterdam, Plantage Muidergracht 14, 1018, TV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    F. W. H. M. Merkus

Authors
  1. R. Janknegt
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  2. J. J. H. M. Lohman
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  3. P. M. Hooymans
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  4. F. W. H. M. Merkus
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Janknegt, R., Lohman, J.J.H.M., Hooymans, P.M. et al. Do evacuated blood collection tubes interfere with therapeutic drug monitoring?. Pharmaceutisch Weekblad Scientific Edition 5, 287–290 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02074856

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02074856

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