This lithium reagent is a spectrophotometric method that was designed to adapt to most automated clinical chemistry analyzers. Since lithium therapy requires reaching plasma concentrations of lithium that are relatively close to the toxic concentration, patients on lithium therapy should be under careful clinical and laboratory control throughout treatment. To obtain accurate determination of serum lithium concentrations, a blood sample is drawn before the patient has his first lithium dose of the day or 9 to 12 hours after his last dose of the drug. Serum lithium concentrations should usually be monitored three times weekly, and blood studies and urinalysis monitored weekly during the initial period of administration and periodically as required thereafter. The reagent is supplied in a single-vial, ready-to-use format.
Equal Diagnostics
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