How to Diagnose Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia is an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood and occurs when the body has too little insulin in the body or can't use the insulin properly. It is usually caused by diabetes mellitus because of a low insulin level but other possible causes of hyperglycemia include bulimia nervosa and certain medications.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Detect the first symptoms of hyperglycemia, usually extreme thirst and frequent urination. If the patient is already a known diabetic, inquire about the last insulin injection. Check for classes of medication that increase the risk of hyperglycemia such as some antipsychotic agents, beta blockers, corticosteroids, L-asparaginase, niacin, pentamidine, protease inhibitors and thiazide based diuretics.
2. Obtain a patient history for symptoms of chronic hyperglycemia. These are of much greater concern and include: blurred vision, dry mouth or itchy skin, fatigue, impotence, poor wound healing, recurrent infections and weight loss.
3. Look for signs of severe hyperglycemia. These include abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, unusual drowsiness, lack of movement, nausea, rapid heart rate and vomiting.
4. Test the serum glucose level after an 8-hour fast to determine the fasting glucose level. Fasting hyperglycemia is a level greater than 130 mg/dL. Check for after-meal hyperglycemia. This is usually defined as a serum glucose level that consistently is above 180 mg/dL after a meal.
5. Perform a glycosylated hemoglobin A1C test to check for chronic hyperglycemia. This test will identify the plasma glucose level over a long period of time.