Question

Nurse Chris is teaching Deborah about a fasting blood glucose test. Which of the following statements indicates Deborah's understanding of the teaching?

a) "I can drink water before the test."
b) "I should eat a high-fat meal before the test."
c) "I should take my insulin right before the test."
d) "I can have breakfast on the morning of the test."

Answer 1

The correct understanding about preparing for a fasting blood glucose test is that drinking water before the test is allowed as it does not contain any calories. Eating, taking insulin, or consuming breakfast would interfere with the test results.

Step-by-step explanation:

A fasting blood glucose test is a critical measure used to diagnose conditions like diabetes. For the test to yield accurate results, a patient must not consume any calories for at least 12 hours prior to the test. Therefore, drinking water before the test is permitted as it does not contain calories that could affect the test results. Eating a high-fat meal, taking insulin right before the test, or having breakfast on the morning of the test would all introduce glucose into the bloodstream and influence the results, leading to potential misdiagnosis.

Insulin injections help to decrease blood glucose levels after a meal by facilitating the uptake of glucose by the body's cells. For patients with diabetes, their ability to tolerate glucose is also checked using an oral glucose or insulin tolerance test. These tests involve monitoring the blood glucose levels at regular intervals after the administration of glucose or insulin, respectively, to determine how well a patient's body can manage glucose.