A person is said to have diabetes if his/her fasting plasma sugar is?

Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

The standard diagnostic criterion for diabetes mellitus is a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level of 126 mg/dL or greater.
This diagnosis should be confirmed by repeating the test on a separate day to ensure accuracy and rule out transient hyperglycemia.
Fasting is defined as no caloric intake for at least 8 hours before the blood sample is drawn.

Option B: A plasma glucose level of 200 mg/dL is a diagnostic criterion, but for a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) or a random plasma glucose test with symptoms, not for a fasting test.
Option C: While a level of 250 mg/dL is significantly elevated and indicates severe hyperglycemia, it is not the established cutoff value for diagnosing diabetes from a fasting sample.
Option D: A plasma glucose level of 50 mg/dL indicates hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which is the opposite of diabetes (hyperglycemia).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Diagnostic criteria for Diabetes Mellitus using fasting plasma glucose as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in screening for diabetes, educating patients about test preparation (e.g., fasting requirements), and interpreting results.
Accurate diagnosis is the first step in managing diabetes and preventing long-term complications like nephropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease.
What if? If a patient's fasting glucose is 115 mg/dL, they do not have diabetes but are diagnosed with prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose). The nursing intervention would focus on intensive lifestyle modification (diet, exercise) and education to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'diabetes' and 'fasting plasma sugar'.
This is a factual recall question that requires knowledge of specific laboratory values for diagnosis.
Recall the established diagnostic criteria from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or WHO.
Compare the given options to the known diagnostic threshold for a fasting sample.
Select the option that matches the correct value, which is 126 mg/dL or greater.
Mentally differentiate this from other diagnostic criteria, such as the values for a random glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Diagnostic criteria for Diabetes Mellitus using fasting plasma glucose.
Stem keywords: diabetes, fasting plasma sugar
Lead-in keywords: is
Negative lead-in flag: false

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Practise the full NHM UP Staff Nurse - 2016

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.