June 1, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Texas, USA:
My six year old son wanted to test his level on my meter so I let him, and his reading was 239 mg/dl [13.3 mmol/L] on an empty stomach. We are aware of the tremendous amount he drinks, but he has been that way for awhile, so we never gave it a thought as a medical problem. He has a g-tube for supplemental tube feeds (to maintain his weight), but other than that he is a healthy little boy. Should this one reading be enough of a concern to inform his doctor? Is it pretty “normal” to have a reading like that with just a random test?
Answer:
I don’t think a “random” level of 239 mg/dl [13.3 mmol/L] (which wasn’t really random since you say he had an “empty stomach”) is normal, but I also am not going to label a child with a diagnosis of diabetes based on a single fingerstick glucose. Have your child seen by his primary care provider.
The doctor will likely want to measure a fasting glucose level in the laboratory, and depending on the result, might then request another level two hours after a meal. Rarely, is a formal glucose tolerance test required, but, it is, hopefully it is done properly.
DS
