Monitoring secobarbital therapy
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
Seconal (Secobarbital)
Secobarbital (Seconal)
Serum Red
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Collection Container/Tube: Red top (Serum gel/SST are not acceptable)
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 1.5 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Collect specimen immediately before next scheduled dose.
2. Centrifuge and aliquot serum into plastic vial within 2 hours of collection.
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send 1 of the following forms with the specimen:
-Neurology Specialty Testing Client Test Request (T732)
-Therapeutics Test Request (T831)
0.6 mL
Gross hemolysis | Reject |
Gross lipemia | OK |
Gross icterus | OK |
Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
---|---|---|---|
Serum Red | Refrigerated (preferred) | 14 days | |
Ambient | 14 days | ||
Frozen | 14 days |
Monitoring secobarbital therapy
Secobarbital is a short-acting barbiturate with hypnotic properties used as a preanesthetic agent and in the short-term treatment of insomnia.(1,2)
Secobarbital is administered orally. The duration of its hypnotic effect is about 3 to 4 hours. The drug distributes throughout the body, with a volume of distribution of 1.6 to 1.9 L/kg, and about 46% to 70% of a dose is bound to plasma proteins. Metabolism takes place in the liver primarily via hepatic microsomal enzymes. The half-life of secobarbital is about 15 to 40 hours (mean: 28 hours).(2,3)
Therapeutic concentration: 1.0-2.0 mcg/mL
Toxic concentration: >5.0 mcg/mL
Secobarbital concentrations above 5 mcg/mL have been associated with toxicity.
The concentration at which toxicity occurs varies and results should be interpreted in light of the clinical situation.
Specimens collected in serum gel tubes are not acceptable because the drug can absorb on the gel and lead to falsely decreased concentrations.
1. Langman LJ, Bechtel LK, Holstege CP. Chapter 43: Clinical toxicology. In: Rifai N, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham C-AD, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2023:454-454.e484
2. Baselt RC. Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemical in Man. 12th ed. Biomedical Publications; 2020.
3. Milone MC, Shaw LM. Chapter 42: Therapeutic Drugs and Their Management. In: Rifai N, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham C-AD, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2023:420-453
4. Mihic SJ, Mayfield J. Hypnotics and Sedatives. In: Brunton LL, Knollmann BC, eds. In: Goodman and Gilman's: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2023
Barbiturates are extracted from serum using solid-phase extraction techniques. The serum is buffered and eluted with organic solvent. The organic phase is dried, reconstituted, and analysis performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using selected ion monitoring. The assay utilizes deuterated barbiturates as internal standards.(Unpublished Mayo method)
Thursday
This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. It has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
80299
Test Id | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
---|---|---|
SECOS | Secobarbital, S | 4028-7 |
Result Id | Test Result Name |
Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
|
---|---|---|
8243 | Secobarbital, S | 4028-7 |