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.