One
hour Glucose Tolerance Test
For
the one hour glucose tolerance test no fasting is required.
When you arrive to the office, you will receive 50 gm of a
high glucose solution. You will usually be offered several
different flavor options, such as, lemon/lime, cola, and orange.
You should consume the entire beverage within 5 minutes. You
should be aware that the glucose solution is very sweet and
many women will feel nauseous after drinking it. The nurse
will record the time the glucose beverage was given and return
in one hour to draw a blood sample. If you should feel symptoms
of hypoglycemia, such as dizziness, weakness, sweating, or
hunger at any time during the test please inform the nurse.
Results
of the one hour glucose tolerance test
If
your blood glucose level exceeds 130 mg/dl, a three hour glucose
tolerance test will be necessary. (Ladewig, London, Moberly,
Olds, 2002)
Three
hour Glucose Tolerance Test
The
three hour glucose tolerance test is is similar to the one
hour test with a few distinctions. You should be instructed
to maintain a high carbohydrate diet for three days prior
to testing. This should be followed by fasting for 10-16 hours.
It will be easiest for the pregnant women to eat her dinner
meal before 7 pm and fast until morning. Plan to arrive at
the doctor's office or lab between 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. to
avoid prolonged fasting. When you arrive for the test, the
nurse will draw your blood and collect a urine sample. She
will then give you a 100 gm glucose solution. She will record
the time and return to collect blood and urine samples at
30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours for a total of 5
blood and urine samples. You will not be able to eat or drink
anything except for water throughout the duration of the test.
You should be encouraged to drink water, however, because
frequent urine samples will be needed.
Results
of three hour glucose tolerance test
Gestational
diabetes will be diagnosed if two of the following values
are exceed the normal limit.
Fasting
- 95 mg/dL
1 hour - 180 mg/dL
2 hours - 155 mg/dL
3 hours - 140 mg/dL
Gestational
diabetes can cause health risks for mother and baby. It is
important to follow up with your health care provider to establish
a plan of care to manage diabetes.
References
Ladewig,
P., London, M., Moberly, S., Olds, S. (2002). Contemporary
Maternal-Newborn Nursing Care. Upper Saddler River, NJ:
Prentice Hall
LeFever
Kee, J. (2001). Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic
Tests. Upper Saddler River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Mc
Cann, et al. (2002). Diagnostic Tests Made Incredibly
Easy. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse
