A micromethod for the estimation of free levels of anticonvulsant drugs in serum.

A micromethod for estimating free levels of phenobarbitone, phenytoin and carbamazepine in patients' sera is described. Serum samples are subjected to a process of ultrafiltration, the filtrates treated with acetonitrile and the drug concentration quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. The stability of free levels in specimens before and after storage is investigated. The method is reproducible and mean recovery exceeds 98.5% showing that there is no significant absorption of drug onto the filters used. There is no interference from other substances normally present in patients' sera and there is a good correlation between results obtained by this method and a fluorescence polarisation immunoassay with correlation coefficient between 0.975 and 0.999. Serum samples can be stored for a lengthy period before ultrafiltration without adverse effects. The relevance of the method to patient care is discussed.