In a seven year old, if a urine test shows no ketones or sugar, is it still necessary to do any blood work to rule out diabetes?

In most cases, a negative urine test can rule out diabetes. In some cases, if a child has very clear symptoms of diabetes, further urine and/or blood test may be helpful to make or rule out a diagnosis.

MSB
Additional comments from Stephanie Schwartz, diabetes nurse specialist:

A definitive diagnosis of diabetes can only be made by doing tests on a blood sample tested in a laboratory. Even a fingerstick glucose level, checked by meter, is not considered as an appropriate diagnostic measure.

SS

[Editor’s comment: There’s a considerable difference between ruling out diabetes, which is what this writer asked, compared to ruling in diabetes. Excluding diabetes from consideration (ruling out) can sometimes be done with a negative urine test for sugar, particularly if the patient is highly symptomatic with thirst, urination, and the urine test is done in a reliable fashion at the time of the symptoms. But making a diagnosis of diabetes (ruling in) must be by finding a high value on a lab blood sugar test.

WWQ]