Monitoring caffeine therapy in neonates
Assessing caffeine toxicity in neonates
Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique (EMIT)
Serum
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Collection Container/Tube:
Preferred: Serum gel
Acceptable: Red top
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Serum gel tubes should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.
2. Red-top tubes should be centrifuged and the serum aliquoted into a plastic vial within 2 hours of collection.
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a Therapeutics Test Request (T831) with the specimen.
0.25 mL
Gross hemolysis | Reject |
Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
---|---|---|---|
Serum | Frozen (preferred) | 28 days | |
Ambient | 72 hours | ||
Refrigerated | 72 hours |
Monitoring caffeine therapy in neonates
Assessing caffeine toxicity in neonates
Caffeine is used to treat apnea of prematurity that occurs in newborn infants, the most frequent complication seen in the neonatal nursery.
In neonates, caffeine has a half-life that ranges from approximately 3 to 4 days, which is much longer than in adults (typically 4-6 hours) due to the immaturity of the neonatal liver. This requires that small doses be administered at much longer intervals than would be predicted based on adult pharmacokinetics.
The volume of distribution of caffeine is 0.8 to 0.9 L/kg (infants) or 0.6 L/kg (adults) and the drug is approximately 36% protein bound.
Toxicity observed in neonates is characterized by central nervous system and skeletal muscle stimulation and bradycardia. These symptoms are seen in adults at lower levels than in neonates, suggesting that neonates have much greater tolerance to the drug.
Therapeutic: 8.0-20.0 mcg/mL
Critical value: > or =30.0 mcg/mL
Optimal pharmacologic response occurs when the serum level is in the range of 8.0 to 20.0 mcg/mL.
Toxicity in neonates and adults may be seen when the serum level is above 20.0 mcg/mL.
This assay is not intended to detect levels in adults.
1. Milone MC, Shaw LM. 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.e9
2. Brunton LL, Knollmann BC, eds. Goodman & Gilman's: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 14th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2023
3. Ou CN, Frawley VL. Concurrent measurement of theophylline and caffeine in neonates by an interference-free liquid-chromatographic method. Clin Chem. 1983;29:1934-1936
The enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique assay is a homogeneous enzyme immunoassay technique used for the analysis of specific compounds in biological fluids. The assay is based on competition between drug in the sample and drug labeled with the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) for antibody binding sites. Enzyme activity decreases upon binding to the antibody, so the drug concentration in the sample can be measured in terms of enzyme activity. Active enzyme converts oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to NADH, resulting in an absorbance change that can be measured spectrophotometrically. Endogenous serum G6PD does not interfere because the coenzyme functions only with the bacterial (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) enzyme employed in the assay.(Package insert: Caffeine Reagent. Seimens Healthcare Diagnostics, Ltd; 03/2015)
Monday through Saturday
This test has been modified from the manufacturer's instructions. Its performance characteristics were determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. This test has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
80155
Test Id | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
---|---|---|
CAFF | Caffeine, S | In Process |
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.
|
---|---|---|
8754 | Caffeine, S | 3422-3 |