A nurse has just initiated an intravenous piggyback of gentamicin (Garamycin). What is the best time for a trough serum level to be measured?
a. Just before the next dose
b. When the infusion is finished
c. One hour after the medication is administered
d. Depends on the specific medication
A
The medication trough is the level at which the serum concentration is lowest. Trough levels are usually obtained just before the next medication dose. The serum concentration would be increasing as the infusion finishes. This is not the concentration trough. The peak concentration, or the concentration after the medication has been distributed, varies according to the specific medication. Trough is always the lowest just before the next medication dose.
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