Steps for measuring glucose tolerance in pregnant women

Women need to do a lot of prenatal checkups during pregnancy. Among the many prenatal checkups, the one that pregnant women dislike the most is the oral glucose tolerance test. This is because many pregnant women will feel very uncomfortable after drinking a large glass of glucose water on an empty stomach. However, this test is a must, and women also need to have blood drawn before doing this test. So what are the steps for pregnant women to measure glucose tolerance?

What are the procedures for the glucose tolerance test for pregnant women?

What are the procedures for the glucose tolerance test for pregnant women? There are two methods for testing glucose tolerance in pregnant women: an oral glucose tolerance test and an intravenous glucose tolerance test. Generally, prenatal check-ups are mainly based on oral glucose tolerance tests. Their experimental process is as follows:

1. Oral glucose tolerance test (75 g OGTT)

Purpose of examination: to determine whether there is gestational diabetes

Test content: 75g glucose tolerance screening

Preparation for the test: Eat normally for three days before the test, and fast after dinner the day before the test until the morning of the test, that is, you cannot eat or drink after 19:00 the night before the blood draw.

Examination method: blood was drawn 4 times in total, one of which was on an empty stomach.

Examination steps: A. Collect 2 ml of venous blood on an empty stomach and send it for examination immediately. B. 75 grams of glucose (dissolved in 200 ml of water).

C. Complete the intake within 3 to 5 minutes, record the time from the first sip, and draw 2 ml of venous blood half an hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours after drinking the sugar water, and send it for testing immediately. Some hospitals collect urine for testing (to measure urine sugar) every time blood is drawn.

2. Intravenous glucose tolerance test (IGTT)

When using this method to measure gastrointestinal function and absorption abnormalities, patients with gastrointestinal diseases, such as those with gastrointestinal anastomosis after gastric surgery and excessive absorption, or chronic diarrhea affecting gastrointestinal absorption, etc., OGTT is no longer appropriate and IGTT can be used.

The method is: use 25% or 50% glucose injection, 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, and inject it intravenously within 2-4 minutes. Starting from the start of the injection, blood is drawn every 30 minutes for a total of 2-3 hours. For a normal person, blood sugar levels drop to the normal range within 2 hours. If blood sugar levels exceed normal values ​​within 2 hours, it indicates impaired glucose tolerance.

Things to note before a glucose tolerance test

1. Eat normally 3 days before the test

In the three days before the test, the carbohydrate intake (i.e. rice and pasta) should not be less than 150 grams. If the subjects deliberately reduce the amount of staple food, the test results will be inaccurate, leading to misdiagnosis.

2. Avoid strenuous exercise and keep your emotions stable

Normal physical activity should be performed 3 days before the test. However, strenuous exercise before the test can excite the sympathetic nerves and increase blood sugar. Infection, trauma, and drastic mood swings can all excite the sympathetic nerves and affect the results of glucose tolerance tests.

3. Fasting

When doing a glucose tolerance test, the expectant mother must fast for 8 to 14 hours to truly reflect the fasting blood sugar level. For example, if you are doing a glucose tolerance test at 8 o'clock in the morning, it is best not to eat since 10 o'clock the night before. You can drink water, but not tea or coffee. The first fasting blood sample is used to measure the sugar level in the blood, called a basal test.

4. Do not eat during the experiment

During the experiment, you are not allowed to smoke, drink water or eat. You can walk around a little, but avoid early morning exercise. In addition, expectant mothers do not need to be nervous and should not let their emotions fluctuate due to multiple blood draws. They should try their best to cooperate with medical staff in drawing blood samples each time.

5. Special circumstances

If you experience symptoms such as pale complexion, nausea, or fainting during the examination, stop the test. If the above symptoms appear 3-4 hours after taking sugar, it should be considered as reactive hypoglycemia. Blood should be drawn immediately to measure blood sugar and the patient should be allowed to eat.