Diabetics and fasting for blood work?

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Handsome Robb

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So we are working on the endocrine system in class right now and had a pretty good discussion about diabetes mellitus.
I was wondering...For blood test, most of the time the ask you to fast for 8-12+ hours prior. I was wondering what kind of effect this has on diabetics. Are the insulin doses sufficient to sustain adequate blood and metabolic glucose levels to sustain proper function for the required fasting period? Maybe I am reading too far into the problems diabetic patients have?
 
Glucose tolerance tests versus "NPO past midnoc"

My understanding is the old "glucose tolerance test" (glucose loading test) has pretty well been supplanted by bringing in your fingerstick log, plus a spot serum glucose, a haemoglobin A1c, and a urine dip (for ketones, and maybe sugar). If you had the proper insulin before, then ate supper properly, and slept, then had your blood drawn early next morning, you could just resume your regimen.
The key is that insulin doesn't sustain adequate blood sugar, it regulates excess blood sugar. Too little insulin is a much better than too much (versus food and exercise).
 
Diabetics fast at least 8 hours every night when they sleep just like the rest of us. On the day they are coming in the morning for any fasting bloodwork they do not take insulin until after the blood is drawn and they have eaten a meal.

I still see glucose tolerance testing done and it is started fasting, then they drink the glucose drink and do not take any insulin and have their blood drawn every hour for the predetermined time. I have seen people get sick, sick from this too. Then we have to cancel the test and schedule for another time. fun fun................
 
WIcked, that is the "glucose tolerance" or "glucose loading test"

Even just a hemoglobin A1c surpasses that for most cases, it is archaic.
 
Yes I know they are both the same.... but what I was saying is that I still have seen that done. Before EMS I was a phlebotomist at a busy hospital for 4 years. And by before I mean like last year..... LOL. And they still had us doing GTTs and O'sullivans on the preggos.
 
Wicked, what time portal did you commute through?

Haha, I hear you. Still killing rabbits to check for pregnancies too?

Anyway, like it's been said above, an overnight fast is customary for sleeping diabetics, just give them a "head of line" card of the morning.
 
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