Special Instructions

Test Requirements:

Fasting whole blood glucose level <130 mg/dl or serum/plasma fasting glucose <140 mg/dl.   If glucose levels are higher than the fasting limits allow the patient’s physician must be contacted.   Only if the physician dictates it is okay to proceed may testing continue.  Otherwise, testing must be discontinued and the test cancelled.

Dosage:

Adult

½ bottle (50 grams) glucose beverage.  Beverage must be consumed as quickly as patient can tolerate.  Do not allow patient to “linger” over consumption of glucose beverage (suggested time limit is no longer than 10 minutes).

Specimens:

A whole blood finger-stick glucose may be performed for the fasting specimen.  If the finger stick glucose is >130 mg/dl, a serum /plasma specimen must be drawn and tested.  All other specimens will be serum/plasma.  Acceptable serum/plasma specimens are oxalated (gray-top) plasma, lithium heparin (green-top) plasma, plain red-top serum tubes or SST (Black Red-Top) serum tube.

Procedure:

A fasting blood specimen and urine should be collected and tested.  If the values are acceptable, continue on to dose patient.  No ½ hour specimen is required for this tolerance. Collect blood and urine specimen at 1 hour after patient finishes glucose beverage.