Final answer:
A blood culture, which is used to detect infections, is not impacted by fasting, unlike glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides tests which require fasting for accurate assessment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The test that is not impacted by fasting among the options provided is D. Blood culture. A blood culture is performed to detect and identify bacteria or fungi in the blood, which can help diagnose infections like sepsis. Since the test is looking for pathogens and not measuring concentrations of bodily substances that fluctuate with food intake, it is not affected by whether or not you have eaten.
In contrast, glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels can be influenced by food and drink intake, so it is usually recommended to fast before testing for accurate measurements. For example, glucose tests such as fasting blood glucose or a glucose tolerance test (GTT) are directly affected by recent food intake and are used to diagnose conditions like diabetes mellitus. Similarly, cholesterol and triglyceride levels can vary based on dietary intake, thus requiring fasting for baseline measurements.