The primary care provider orders peak and trough levels for a patient who is receiving intravenous vancomycin every 12 hours. When should the nurse obtain a blood specimen to measure the trough?
a. With the morning routine laboratory studies
b. Approximately 30 minutes before the next dose
c. Two hours after the next dose infuses
d. While the drug is infusing
B
Trough levels are typically obtained approximately 30 minutes before administering the next dose of the drug. Therefore, the trough cannot be collected with the morning routine laboratory studies. The vancomycin peak should be obtained 2 hours after the next dose infuses. Peak level must be measured when absorption is complete. This depends on all the factors that affect absorption. Trough levels would be inaccurate if the specimen is obtained while the drug infuses.
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