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Digoxin
You need to provide
Blood
This test is for
Male, Female
Test Preparation
Overview
What is Digoxin?
Digoxin is a medication used for congestive heart failure. Very small doses of digoxin are required for the condition. If the levels go out of the normal range, also known as the therapeutic window, you may experience severe side effects of the medication.
Why is Digoxin done?
- To ensure that the levels are within the therapeutic window when the medication is first started
- Periodically during treatment for routine monitoring and to verify that the correct dose is used
- To reevaluate levels if the patient is experiencing heart failure symptoms such as:
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in hands and feet
- Blurred vision
- Irregolar heartbeat
- Diarrhea and vomiting
Interpreting Digoxin results
Interpretations
Levels are different for various conditions that digoxin is used to treat.
- High levels mean excessive dosage outside the therapeutic window
- Low levels mean inadequate dosage which might cause worsening of the disorder it is being used to treat
