RBS Test or Random Blood Sugar Test is a test conducted to measure the level of glucose in a person’s blood. The amount of glucose in a person’s body is low in the morning but starts to increase as the person starts having his meal. While glucose is vital for the normal functioning of the body, high or low levels of blood sugar can be dangerous. High levels of blood sugar are known is as hyperglycemia and results in diabetes. The complete blood count is often required by doctors while performing these tests. This test is performed randomly at any time of the day, randomly, to check the level of glucose in blood at a given point of time. It is conducted outside the regular schedule and is often used to confirm diabetes mellitus and to help with its treatment. A blood sugar level of 200mg/ dl is considered as diabetes mellitus. The timely conduction of RBS greatly helps with its treatment.
When should RBS Tests be conducted?
If a patient has a RBS range of 200mg/dl or more, this is point indicating the presence of diabetes mellitus in the blood. An RBS test allows the doctor to confirm the presence of the disease and take the necessary steps towards its treatment. It works as a means of regular monitoring even if the test results are negative. It ensure the timely treatment of the patient.
A doctor usually prescribes RBS Test when the patient complains of the following:
- Dry mouth and dehydration
- Blurry vision
- Sudden and unintended weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Very slow healing of wound
Preparation involved in the Test
There are no specific set of preparations required to conduct a Random Blood Sugar test, other than the standard protocol of an 8-12 hour waiting period. The doctor only needs to stay informed of any prior medical conditions that may have taken place.
Are any other tests required to be performed with alongside RBS Test?
Depending on the symptoms shown by the patient, some other tests might be prescribed by the doctor. For example, diabetes can also be a result of the inflammation of the pancreas, or an overactive thyroid gland and RBS alone might not be enough. Hence, a TSH test or a Two Hour Postprandial Test might also be recommended.
The test is conducted usually within one or two hours of eating. Before the meal, the normal RBS range should be somewhere between 80mg/dl to 130 mg/dl and after eating, if the level increases to 140 mg/ dl to 199mg/dl, then they would be considered pre- diabetic and could later be prone to Type 2 diabetes. And a person with 200 mg/ dl and above is probably diabetic. The results of the test can be expected between 24 hours to 36 hours.
Some additional facts about RBS Test
The RBS Test is conducted simply by inserting a syringe into the veins and by drawing some amount of blood from the arm. There is hardly any discomfort apart from the prick and there is no need to fast, unlike the Fasting Blood Glucose Test. The patient however, needs to inform the doctor of any steroids he or she might be taking because of any other treatment as this will affect the test results.
Portea Medical Home Services will help with the collection of the blood sample from home and they will also deliver the test results at home if requested. The test is quite affordable. People usually tend to postpone their medical tests just because they often do not find the time to go for it in their busy schedule, but Portea makes it easier through their home services. The samples are collected and the tests are conducted by expert healthcare specialists and pathologists and the results are accurate. The home collection blood test procedure is simple and will prove to be the best option for you, especially when you are hard-pressed for time.
Reference:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323022.php
https://www.portea.com/labs/diagnostic-tests/random-blood-sugar-rbs-test-151/
