Valproic Acid Serum Test

Monitoring free valproic acid in therapy,in Assessing compliance, Assessing potential toxicity.

Test is recommended for patients being treated with valproic acid for seizures.

Valproate is an effective medication for absence seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and partial seizures, when administered alone or in conjunction with other antiepileptic agents. In uremia or during concomitant therapy with other drugs that are highly protein-bound (such as phenytoin), valproic acid is displaced from protein, resulting in a higher free fraction of the drug circulating in blood. Since neurologic activity and toxicity of valproic acid are directly related to the unbound fraction of drug, adjustment of dosage based on knowledge of the free valproic acid concentration may be useful in the following: concomitant use of highly protein-bound drugs (usually >80% bound), hypoalbuminemia, pregnancy, kidney or liver failure, and in older adults.