Glucose

Patient Preparation Patient should fast for 8 hours

Preferred Specimen(s) 1 mL serum

Transport Container Plastic screw-cap vial

Transport Temperature

Ambient 5 days,
Refrigerated 2 weeks

Reject Criteria

Unspun SST
Red-top or non-plasma separator (PST) green-top tubes
Anticoagulants other than litium heparin, sodium heparin or fluoride/oxalate

Methodology Spectrophotometry (SP)

Clinical Significance Serum glucose levels may be abnormally high (hyperglycemia) or abnormally low (hypoglycemia). Glucose measurements are used in the diagnosis and treatment of carbohydrate metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus, idiopathic hypoglycemia, and pancreatic islet cell neoplasm.