@article{ref1,
title="Carbamazepine interference with an immune assay for tricyclic antidepressants in plasma",
journal="Journal of toxicology - clinical toxicology",
year="1998",
author="Chattergoon, D. S. and Verjee, Z. and Anderson, Michael and Johnson, D. and McGuigan, M. A. and Koren, G. and Ito, S.",
volume="36",
number="1-2",
pages="109-113",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Drug toxicological screening is commonly used as a diagnostic tool in patients with suspected toxic ingestion. False positive results due to cross-reactive compounds in drug assays may lead to misdiagnosis and mismanagement, especially when child abuse is suspected. CASE REPORT: Two of our patients with history of ingestion of carbamazepine were tested positive on screening with the tricyclic antidepressant immunoassay. The immunoassay's known cross-reactivity for carbamazepine is reportedly as low as 0.3%. Plasma samples of our patients were initially considered positive for tricyclic antidepressants because the cross-reaction of carbamazepine gave tricyclic antidepressant concentrations as imipramine equivalent sufficiently above the assay cut-off point (20 ng/mL). Later, confirmatory urine testing of both patients using high-performance liquid chromatography was negative for tricyclic antidepressants. CONCLUSION: This interference has significant clinical implications, and can be avoided on urine testing using a specific chromatographic assay such as high-performance liquid chromatography.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0731-3810",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}