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Nurses Drug Handbook by Nursing Spectrum and Nurse Week

Features
Drug Handbook Home
Safe Drug Administration
Identifying Drugs
Commonly Used Drugs
Approvals and Updates
Federal Guidelines
Patient Teaching
Reporting Incidents
About the Author
Table of Contents
  • Foreword
  • Preface and User’s Guide
  • Drugs A-Z
  • Safe Drug Administration
  • Photo Gallery of Common Tablets & Capsules
  • Drug Classes
  • Vitamins and Minerals
  • Herbs and Supplements
  • Appendices

Drug Handbook Home > Safe Drug Administration > Monitoring Drug Levels

 

The table below shows therapeutic and toxic blood levels for selected drugs. Keep in mind that such levels may vary slightly among laboratories.

Drug Therapeutic blood level Toxic blood level
acetaminophen 10 to 20 mcg/ml

> 150 mcg/ml

alprazolam 0.025 to 0.102 mcg/ml Not defined
amikacin Peak: 25 to 35 mcg/ml
Trough: 5 to 10 mcg/ml
> 35 mcg/ml
> 10 mcg/ml

aminophylline

10 to 20 mcg/ml

> 20 mcg/ml

amiodarone 1 to 2.5 mcg/ml > 2.5 mcg/ml
amitriptyline 120 to 250 ng/ml > 500 ng/ml
amobarbital 1 to 5 mcg/ml > 10 mcg/ml
atenolol 0.2 to 0.7 mcg/ml 35 mcg/ml
bepridil 1 to 2 ng/ml 1 to 2 ng/ml

calcium

9 to 10.5 mg/dl

> 12 mg/dl

carbamazepine

4 to 14 mcg/ml > 15 mcg/ml

clonazepam

10 to 80 ng/ml

> 100 ng/ml
creatinine

0.6 to 1.2 mg/dl

> 4 mg/dl

cyclosporine

50 to 300 ng/ml > 400 ng/ml

desipramine

115 to 300 ng/ml

> 400 ng/ml

diazepam

0.5 to 2 mcg/ml

> 3 mcg/ml
digoxin 0.8 to 2 ng/ml
Trough (> 12 hours after dose):
Heart failure: 0.8 to 1.5 ng/ml
Arrhythmias: 1.5 to 2 ng/ml
 Adults: > 2.5 ng/ml
Children: > 3 ng/ml

diltiazem

0.05 to .40 mcg/ml

3.7 to 6.1 mcg/ml

diphenylhydantoin 10 to 20 mcg/ml 20 to 50 mcg/ml

disopyramide

2 to 8 mcg/ml

> 8 mcg/ml

ethchlorvynol

2 to 8 mcg/ml > 20 mcg/ml

ethosuximide

40 to 100 mcg/ml

> 100 mcg/ml

flecainide

0.2 to 1 mcg/ml

> 1 mcg/ml

fluconazole

5 to 15 mcg/ml

Not defined

fluoxetine

0.09 to 0.40 mcg/ml

Not defined

gentamicin

Peak: 4 to 12 mcg/ml
Trough: 1 to 2 mcg/ml

> 12 mcg/ml
> 2 mcg/ml

glucose

70 to 110 mg/dl

> 300 mg/dl

glutethimide

2 to 6 mcg/ml

> 5 mcg/ml

haloperidol

5 to 20 ng/ml

> 20 ng/ml

hydromorphone

0.008 to 0.049 mcg/ml

Not defined
imipramine 225 to 300 ng/ml > 500 ng/ml
kanamycin Peak: 25 to 35 mcg/ml
Trough (mild to moderate infection):
1 to 4 mcg/ml
Trough (severe infection):
4 to 8 mcg/ml 		> 35 to 40 mcg/ml

> 10 to 15 mcg/ml

> 10 to 15 mcg/ml

lidocaine

1.5 to 6 mcg/ml

> 6 mcg/ml

lithium

0.6 to 1.2 mEq/L > 1.5 mEq/L
lorazepam 50 to 240 ng/ml 300 to 600 ng/ml
magnesium 12 to 32 mcg/ml 80 to 120 mcg/ml

meperidine

100 to 550 ng/ml

> 1,000 ng/ml

meprobamate

6 to 12 mcg/ml

> 60 mcg/ml

methsuximide

10 to 40 mcg/ml

> 44 mcg/ml

metoprolol

0.03 to 0.27 mcg/ml

Not defined

mezlocillin

35 to 45 mcg/ml

> 45 mcg/ml
milrinone 150 to 250 ng/ml > 250 ng/ml

nifedipine

0.025 to 0.1 mcg/ml

> 0.1 mcg/ml

nortriptyline

50 to 140 ng/ml

> 300 ng/ml

oxazepam

0.2 to 1.4 mcg/ml

> 2 mcg/ml

paroxetine

0.031 to 0.062 mcg/ml

Not defined
phenobarbital 10 to 40 mcg/ml > 40 mcg/ml

phenytoin

10 to 20 mcg/ml

> 20 mcg/ml

potassium

3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L

> 6 mEq/L

primidone

4 to 12 mcg/ml > 12 mcg/ml

procainamide

4 to 8 mcg/ml > 10 mcg/ml
propofol

2 to 16 mcg/ml

Not defined

propranolol

50 to 200 ng/ml

> 200 ng/ml

quinidine

2 to 5 mcg/ml

> 5 mcg/ml

salicylates

100 to 300 mcg/ml

> 300 mcg/ml

sertraline

0.055 to 0.25 mcg/ml

Not defined
sodium 135 to 145 mEq/L > 160 mEq/L

streptomycin

25 mcg/ml

> 25 mcg/ml

theophylline

10 to 20 mcg/ml

> 20 mcg/ml

tobramycin

Peak: 4 to 12 mcg/ml
Trough: 1 to 2 mcg/ml

> 12 mcg/ml
> 2 mcg/ml

tocainide

4 to 10 mcg/ml

Not defined
valproic acid 50 to 100 mcg/ml > 100 mcg/ml

vancomycin

Peak: 20 to 40 mcg/ml
Trough: 5 to 15 mcg/ml > 15 mcg/ml

> 40 mcg/ml
> 15 mcg/ml

verapamil

0.08 to 0.3 mcg/ml

Not defined

zolpidem

0.003 to 0.018 mcg/ml

Not defined

 

 



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