Abstract
BACKGROUND: Plasma levels can be used to monitor the clinical efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). In practice, the interpretation of plasma levels can be problematical, for several reasons: varying time-intervals between ingestion and blood sampling, the number of times per day a particular antidepressant is administered, the presence of active metabolites and the use of slow-release substances.
AIM: To present realistic recommendations regarding the interpretation of plasma levels of TCA in clinical practice.
METHOD: We studied the relevant literature.
CONCLUSION: On the basis of the literature we make the following recommendations:
| Translated title of the contribution | Tricyclic antidepressant plasma levels in depression: a practical guide |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 695-705 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/blood
- Depression/blood
- Drug Monitoring
- Humans
- Patient Compliance
- Reference Values