Triazolam (Halcion)
Use
The Triazolam (Halcion) test is designed to measure the concentration of the drug triazolam in the plasma or serum. Triazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine used primarily for the treatment of insomnia. Monitoring the levels of triazolam can be critical for assessing compliance, potential toxicity, or therapeutic efficacy in patients. The test provides quantitative results that can help inform clinical decisions related to dosage and potential drug interactions.
Special Instructions
Ensure that the specimen is collected in the appropriate situation and processed quickly to maintain stability. It is important to follow the outlined specimen collection and handling procedures, avoiding the use of gel tubes and ensuring that sodium heparin plasma is refrigerated. Special considerations should be made for the timely transport and storage of samples to ensure the validity of the results, particularly when shipping at ambient temperature.
Limitations
The test is specific to triazolam and may not detect other benzodiazepines or related compounds. Interference from endogenous substances is unlikely but not impossible and could affect test results under certain conditions. Hemolyzed, lipemic, or icteric samples are generally not acceptable and could lead to rejection due to compromised specimen integrity. The assay is sensitive to the concentrations within the therapeutic range, but very low levels or those resulting from new analog compounds may not be detected.
New York Approved
Methodology
Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
Biomarkers
LOINC Codes
- 59762-5
- 59762-5
Result Turnaround Time
5-9 days
Related Documents
For more information, please review the documents below
Specimen
Plasma
Volume
2 mL
Minimum Volume
0.3 mL
Container
Plastic vial
Collection Instructions
Draw blood in a green-top (sodium heparin) tube(s), plasma gel tube is not acceptable. Spin down and send 2 mL sodium heparin plasma refrigerated in a plastic vial.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerated (preferred) for 14 days, ambient for 72 hours, or frozen for 180 days.
Causes for Rejection
Hemolysis, Lipemia, Icterus, Other
Stability Requirements
| Temperature | Period |
|---|---|
| Room Temperature | 72 hours |
| Refrigerated | 14 days |
| Frozen | 180 days |