The use of serum electrolyte concentrations determined by automated analyzers to indirectly quantitate serum bromide concentration

Bromide is not often prescribed today as antiepileptic therapy. One reason is that serum bromide concentrations are not routinely performed in hospital laboratories, making clinical decisions difficult. Because of bromide ion interference with the electrodes of commonly used automated electrolyte analyzers, factitious "hyperchloremia" (and in some cases, "hyperbicarbonatemia"), are produced. These values, and the resulting calculated anion gap, correlate well with the measured serum bromide concentration. The correlation permits results from routine automated electrolyte analyzers to be used to indirectly determine serum bromide concentration.