Investigating The Serum Glucose Tests Used For Diabetes...

PART 1: Questions 1. Describe the following serum glucose tests used to help diagnose diabetes mellitus: fasting, postprandial, and oral glucose tolerance test. Diabetes Mellitus is an endocrine disorder characterised by the body’s inability to produce insulin or the ineffective use of insulin present in the body. The major classifications include type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (Day, Paul, Williams, 2016). While early signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus may be present in individuals, the healthcare provider must perform several diagnostic tests in order to properly diagnose the disease and come up with a plan of treatment. There are a variety of serum glucose tests available to help diagnose prediabetes and diabetes†¦show more content†¦Typically, blood glucose values rise when digesting a meal. In non-diabetic individuals, the body is able rebalance these blood glucose levels within two hours to achieve homeostasis. If the test results in a blood glucose levels of 11.1 mmol/L or greater, a diagnosis of diabetes is common (Day et al., 2016). Yet another diagnostic test for prediabetes and diabetes is an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). However, OGTT’s are most commonly performed to check for gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy (Day et al., 2016). Therefore it is recommended that pregnant women should be screened at 24-28 weeks of their pregnancy (Canadian Diabetes Association, 2015). The OGTT test is conducted by drinking a concentrated solution of glucose. Similarly to the postprandial test, blood glucose levels are tested to determine how quickly the body was able to process the glucose as energy. If the test results in a blood glucose levels greater than 11.0 mmol/L after 2 hours, it indicates a diagnosis of diabetes (Day et al., 2016). 2. Explain what a hemoglobin A1C lab test tells the health care team. â€Å"Glycosylated hemoglobin (referred to as HgbA1c or A1cA hemoglobin A1C) is a blood test that reflects average blood glucose levels over a period of approximately 2 to 3 months† (Day et al., 2016, p. 1309). This is beneficial as it provides the health care team with bigger picture and reflects long term blood glucose levels in patients. Sugar is an adhesive ingredient and