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Test Code LAB39 Vancomycin Level, Trough, Blood

Performing Laboratory

St. Louis Children's Hospital - Chemistry

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation: None

Container/Tube  
Preferred: Mint green-top Lithium heparin (MNTGRN LiHep) tube
Acceptable: Green samplette/microtainer, plain red-top tube, Lavender-top (EDTA) tube or Gold SST gel tube

Collection Volume: 1.0 mL (minimum 0.6 mL)

Submission Container/Tube: If specimen is coming from outside facility and collected in a microtainer, Lavender-top (EDTA) tube, or plain red-top tube aliquot processed sample into a plastic vial for transport (labeling with specimen type).
Special Instructions: Specimen should be collected 30 minutes prior to next dose.

Sample Rejection

Mislabeled or unlabeled specimens

Logistics

Test Availability: Monday-Sunday
Cut-off time: None; performed as received
Turnaround Time: Same day; 2 hours from receipt in lab

Reference Values

Therapeutic Range:  10.0-20.0 mcg/mL

Critical Values: ≥ 25.0 mcg/mL

Critical test results will be automatically called back initially and every 24 hours thereafter.

Methodology

Kinetic Interaction of microparticles in solution (KIMS)

Limitations

  • As with any assay employing mouse antibodies, the possibility exists for interference by human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) in the sample, which could cause falsely lowered results. 
  • In very rare cases, gammopathy, in particular type IgM (Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia), may cause unreliable results.

Additional Information

FOR SLCH CORE LABORATORY USE ONLY

Lab Processing Instructions: Centrifuge specimen to separate. If specimen is collected in a plain red-top tube, microtainer, or Lavender-top (EDTA) tube aliquot sample into a Roche false-bottom tube for testing (labeling with specimen type).
Processed Volume: 0.3 mL plasma/serum
Analyte Stability:

Specimen Type Temperature Time  
Whole Blood (unprocessed)  Ambient 8 hours  
Plasma/Serum (processed) Refrigerated (preferred) 2 days  
  Ambient  8 hours  
  Frozen  1 month        

LOINC

20578-1

Last Reviewed

06/2025

Test Classification and CPT Coding

80202