Final answer:
The typical screening procedure for diabetes mellitus is the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), often preceded by a Benedict's reducing sugar test for preliminary detection. The A1C test is also used to measure long-term blood glucose management. Additional tests may follow to determine the type of diabetes if diagnosed.
Step-by-step explanation:
A typical screening procedure for diabetes mellitus is the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT). Initially, a Benedict's reducing sugar test may be conducted to detect the presence of glucose in urine, indicating diabetes mellitus if there are reducing sugars present that reduce copper to form a precipitate. If the Benedict's test is positive, blood sugar estimation follows.
Subsequently, the GTT is performed, especially when a patient's fasting blood glucose is within a borderline range or there's a suspicion of diabetes despite the absence of glucosuria. In the GTT, the patient fasts for 12 to 24 hours, consumes a sugary drink to stimulate insulin production from the pancreas, and blood samples are drawn afterwards to measure the glucose level. Another crucial test is the A1C test, which provides an average blood glucose level over the past two to three months, indicating long-term glucose management.
Should the GTT results confirm diabetes mellitus, further tests like the Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT) and Glucagon Tolerance Test (GuTT) may be performed to differentiate between insulin-dependent and insulin-independent diabetes. These procedures are fundamental in endocrinology for diagnosing diabetes mellitus through extensive laboratory tests.
Lastly, hyperglycemia, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, is a definitive sign of diabetes, which may require lifestyle changes, or in more severe cases, medication or insulin therapy to manage.