Blood glucose testing is also done in emergency settings to determine if low or high glucose is contributing to symptoms such as fainting and unconsciousness. If a patient has pre-diabetes (characterized by fasting or OGTT levels that are higher than normal but lower than those defined as diabetic), the doctor will order a glucose test at regular intervals to monitor the patient’s status. With known diabetics, doctors will order glucose levels in conjunction with other tests such as hemoglobin A1c to monitor glucose control over a period of time. Occasionally, a blood glucose level may be ordered along with insulin and C-peptide to monitor insulin production.
Diabetics may be required to self-check their glucose, once or several times a day, to monitor glucose levels and to determine treatment options as prescribed by their doctor.
Pregnant women are usually screened for gestational diabetes late in their pregnancies, unless they have early symptoms or previously have had gestational diabetes. When a woman has gestational diabetes, her doctor will usually order glucose levels throughout the rest of her pregnancy and after delivery to monitor her condition.
Glucose: The simple sugar (monosaccharide) that serves as the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is the principal sugar the body makes. The body makes glucose from proteins, fats and, in largest part, carbohydrates. Glucose is carried to each cell through the bloodstream. Cells, however, cannot use glucose without the help of insulin. Glucose is also known as dextrose.
Glucose may be consumed or given IV to increase the level of blood glucose when the level falls too low (hypoglycemia). In hypoglycemia, cells cannot function normally, and symptoms develop such as nervousness, cool skin, headache, confusion, convulsions or coma. Ingested glucose is absorbed directly into the blood from the intestine and results in a rapid increase in the blood glucose. IV glucose acts even more rapidly to relieve hypoglycemia.
Our body's primary source of energy takes the form of glucose. This type of sugar comes from digesting carbohydrates into a chemical that we can easily convert to energy. When glucose levels in the bloodstream aren't properly regulated, one can develop a serious condition, such as diabetes.
We get most of our glucose from digesting the sugar and starch in carbohydrates. Foods like rice, pasta, grain, potatoes, fruits, a few vegetables, and processed sweets qualify as carbohydrates. Our digestive system, using bile and enzymes, breaks down the starch and sugar in these foods into glucose. This functional form of energy then gets absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream. There, a chemical known as insulin, excreted by the pancreas, meets the glucose. Together, they can enter cells in muscles and the brain, allowing glucose to power activities like lifting a book or remembering a phone number.
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Type 2 Diabetes: Manage Your Symptoms
Type 2 Diabetes: Manage Your Symptoms
Type 2 Diabetes Slideshow Pictures Type 2 Diabetes
GENERIC NAME: glucose
BRAND NAME: none
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Glucose is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) that is used to increase the level of blood glucose when the level falls too low (hypoglycemia). Glucose is a glucose-elevating agent. Other glucose-elevating agents are diazoxide (Proglycem) and glucagon. Glucose is the primary fuel used by most cells in the body to generate the energy that is needed to carry out cellular functions. When glucose levels fall to hypoglycemic levels, cells cannot function normally, and symptoms develop such as nervousness, cool skin, headache, confusion, convulsions or coma. Ingested glucose is absorbed directly into the blood from the intestine and results in a rapid increase in the blood glucose level.
GENERIC: yes
PRESCRIPTION: no
PREPARATIONS: Glucose is available as a gel in an 80 gm bottle or a 25 gm tube. It also is available as a flavored tablet for swallowing and a chewable 5 gm tablet.
STORAGE: Glucose should be stored at rooGlucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is an important carbohydrate in biology. The living cell uses it as a source of energy and metabolic intermediate. Glucose is one of the main products of photosynthesis and starts cellular respiration in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The name comes from the Greek word glykys (γλυκύς), which means "sweet", plus the suffix "-ose" which denotes a sugar. Two stereoisomers of the aldohexose sugars are known as glucose, only one of which (D-glucose) is biologically active. This form (D-glucose) is often referred to as dextrose monohydrate, or, especially in the food industry, simply dextrose (from dextrorotatory glucose). This article deals with the D-form of glucose. The mirror-image of the molecule, L-glucose, cannot be metabolized by cells in the biochemical process known as glycolysis.
Glucose is produced commercially via the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. Many crops can be used as the source of starch. Maize, rice, wheat, potato, cassava, arrowroot, and sago are all used in various parts of the world. In the United States, cornstarch (from maize) is used almost exclusively.
Glucose is a ubiquitous fuel in biology. It is used as an energy source in most organisms, from bacteria to humans. Use of glucose may be by either aerobic or anaerobic respiration (fermentation). Carbohydrates are the human body's key source of energy, through aerobic respiration, providing approximately 3.75 kilocalories (16 kilojoules) of food energy per gram. Breakdown of carbohydrates (e.g. starch) yields mono- and disaccharides, most of which is glucose. Through glycolysis and later in the reactions of the Citric acid cycle (TCAC), glucose is oxidized to eventually form CO2 and water, yielding energy, mostly in the form of ATP. The insulin reaction, and other mechanisms, regulate the concentration of glucose in the blood. A high fasting blood sugar level is an indication of prediabetic and diabetic conditions. Glucose is a primary source of energy for the brain, and hence its availability influences psychological processes. When glucose is low, psychological processes requiring mental effort (e.g., self-control) are impaired. Glucose is critical in the production of proteins and in lipid metabolism. Also, in plants and most animals, it is a precursor for vitamin C (ascorbic acid) production. It is modified for use in these processes by the glycolysis pathway. Glucose is used as a precursor for the synthesis of several important substances. starch solution Starch, cellulose, and glycogen ("animal starch") are common glucose polymers (polysaccharides). Lactose, the predominant sugar in milk, is a glucose-galactose disaccharide. In sucrose, another important disaccharide, glucose is joined to fructose. These synthesis processes also rely on the phosphorylation of glucose through the first step of glycolysis. m temperature, 15-30°C(59-86°F) in a tight container.
PRESCRIBED FOR: Glucose is used to manage hypoglycemia.
DOSING: The usual dose of glucose is 10-20 gm in a conscious patient experiencing hypoglycemia. The dose may be repeated in 10 minutes if hypoglycemic symptoms do not resolve. Oral glucose must be swallowed to be effective.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: There are no known drug interactions with glucose.
PREGNANCY: Glucose may be ingested during pregnancy.
NURSING MOTHERS: Glucose may be used to manage hypoglycemia in nursing mothers.
SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea may occur after ingesting glucose, but this also may be an effect of the hypoglycemia which is present just prior to ingestion.