From the Guidelines
Serum is the specimen used for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM).
Key Points
- TDM involves measuring serum drug levels and anti-drug antibodies to adjust the drug dose and achieve target serum drug levels within a predefined therapeutic range 1.
- The practice of TDM can be either proactive or reactive, with proactive TDM involving regular adjustments based on serum drug levels measured at predefined intervals, and reactive TDM involving measurements only in response to disease worsening or adverse events.
- Serum drug levels are a crucial component of TDM, allowing healthcare providers to adjust drug dosing and optimize treatment outcomes.
- The use of serum as the specimen for TDM is a key aspect of this practice, enabling the measurement of drug levels and anti-drug antibodies in a clinically relevant and accurate manner 1.
From the Research
Specimen Used for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)
- The specimen used for TDM is not explicitly stated in the provided studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- However, it can be inferred that biological samples such as blood, urine, and saliva are commonly used for TDM 4, 5, 6.
- The choice of specimen may depend on the specific drug being monitored, the patient's condition, and the analytical technique used 4, 5.
Analytical Techniques Used for TDM
- Various analytical techniques are used for TDM, including immunochemical techniques and chromatographic methods 4, 5.
- Immunochemical techniques are rapid and easy to operate but limited to a small number of drugs, while chromatographic methods are more specific and adaptable to almost any therapeutic drug 4.
- Emerging technologies such as biosensors and wearable devices are also being developed for TDM 6.
Factors Influencing TDM
- Several factors can influence TDM, including drug interactions, polypharmacy, and supplement use 6.
- Genetic factors, comorbidities, lifestyle, and diet can also affect the relationship between plasma/blood drug concentration and clinical efficacy 6.
- TDM can be used to optimize personalized dosing and determine the clinical efficacy of drugs in individuals 6.