Diabetic Patient Instructions for Outpatient Testing

Instructions

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It is important to keep your blood sugar controlled when you are having an outpatient procedure.

The following directions will guide you in managing you diabetes medicines before and after your test or procedure.

The Evening Before Your Test or Procedure

Continue usual diabetes medicine until midnight.

Follow all directions your doctor gives you for test preparation. If a clear liquid diet has been prescribed, follow the diet below. It is OK to take liquids containing sugar as listed in the sample diet.

Sample Diet – May substitute equivalent clear liquids

  • 8 oz regular soft drink
  • 8 oz regular jello
  • 1 regular popsicle
  • 8 oz apple juice
  • Broth

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight.  If you wish to drink additional fluids, those should be diet or calorie free.

The Morning of the Test or Procedure

Nothing to eat or drink

Check blood sugar first thing this morning (and at 12 noon if you are not at the hospital) and write down the results. Bring these results and your blood
Sugar log book with you to the hospital.

If your blood sugar is less than 60, take one of the following before your arrival at the hospital:

a). 3 glucose tablets
b). 4 oz juice (prefer clear juice such as apple or grape)
c). 6 Life Savers™

DO NOT TAKE your diabetes pills this morning.

If you take Insulin: TAKE ½ your usual amount of morning insulin-see example 1 and 2.
(includes all types of insulin such as NPH, 70/30, 50/50, Regular, Humalog, Lente)

Example 1: Your usual morning dose is 15 units NPH and 8 units Regular. You would take 7 units NPH and 4 units Regular the morning of the surgery.
Example 2: Your usual morning dose is 27 units of 70/30 insulin. You would take 13 units of 70/30 insulin the morning or surgery.

When You Arrive at the Hospital

Check in for your test or procedure as directed by your doctor

Tell the technician:|

a). You have diabetes.
b). What your blood sugar was this morning.
c). If you take insulin, how much insulin you took this morning.

After the Test or Procedure

Go back to your usual meal plan.

Take diabetes pill unless you take GLUCHPAGE (Metformin)

If you take GLUCOPHAGE: Do Not Take Glucophage for 48 hours after having X-ray test which require an IV dye injection (eg: IVP, cardiac cath, angioplasty, etc).
Resume your usual insulin dose at the next scheduled time.

If your blood sugar is higher than 200, call your doctor.