{"id":"valproic-acid","name":"Valproic Acid (Total)","shortName":"Valproic acid","aliases":["Valproic Acid","Valproate","Valproic Acid Level","Valproic Acid, Total","Valproate, Total","Total Valproic Acid","Depakote","Depakene","Divalproex","Dipropylacetic Acid"],"abbreviations":["VPA"],"loinc":[{"code":"4086-5","primary":true},{"code":"4088-1","primary":false},{"code":"14946-8","primary":false}],"specimen":"serum-or-plasma","units":[{"ucum":"ug/mL","display":"µg/mL"},{"ucum":"mg/L","display":"mg/L"},{"ucum":"umol/L","display":"µmol/L"}],"referenceRanges":[{"population":"Adults","low":50,"high":100,"unit":"ug/mL","unitDisplay":"µg/mL","note":"The usually accepted therapeutic range for total valproate in a trough sample (Quest prints 50.0–100.0 mg/L, the same as µg/mL; FDA labeling also gives 50–100 mcg/mL). ARUP prints 50–125 µg/mL, and acute mania trials dosed to trough levels of 50–125 mcg/mL (FDA labeling), so some labs use 125 as the upper limit. Free valproate (ARUP: 7–23 µg/mL) can be high when total looks normal.","sources":[{"title":"Valproic Acid (test code 916)","url":"https://testdirectory.questdiagnostics.com/test/test-detail/916/valproic-acid?cc=MASTER","publisher":"Quest Diagnostics"},{"title":"Depakote (divalproex sodium) prescribing information","url":"https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=08a65cf4-7749-4ceb-6895-8f4805e2b01f","publisher":"DailyMed, National Library of Medicine"},{"title":"Reference ranges for antiepileptic drugs revisited: a practical approach to establish national guidelines","url":"https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S154388","publisher":"Drug Design, Development and Therapy","year":2018},{"title":"Valproic Acid, Free and Total (test 0099310)","url":"https://ltd.aruplab.com/Tests/Pub/0099310","publisher":"ARUP Laboratories"}]}],"review":{"status":"ai-verified","label":"AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review","lastReviewed":"2026-10-03"},"summary":"The total amount of valproic acid (valproate), a seizure and mood medicine, in your blood, usually checked just before your next dose.","url":"https://bloodtesttracker.com/markers/valproic-acid","notice":"Information, not medical advice. Ranges differ between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against."}