Phenobarbital Toxicity Assessment

Therapeutic Range and Interpretation

• For toxicity assessment, serum concentrations >50 mg/L may induce coma and concentrations >80 mg/L may be fatal 1, 2, 3

Special Considerations

• When evaluating phenobarbital levels for toxicity or overdose management, simultaneous urine drug screen and blood ethanol concentration should be obtained to confirm presence of co-ingested drugs that could influence clinical assessment 2, 3