random blood sugar (rbs) test

Blood sugar level also known as blood glucose level is the amount of sugar in a person’s blood. Blood sugar or glucose is a crucial unit of the body and serves as the primary source of energy. It is crucial to the normal functioning of varied tissues and most importantly the brain. Glucose levels are low in the morning before the first meal of the day and rises after having a meal. The blood glucose level is tightly regulated to maintain constant level in the body at all time. Continuous high levels of blood sugar are known as hyperglycaemia and low levels are referred to as hypoglycaemia.  Diabetes is the result of persistent hyperglycaemia.

Find Out: Related Lab Packages for a Thorough Body Checkup

A random blood sugar test is the testing of the blood sugar level at any time or random time of the day.  It is a test performed outside the regular testing schedule. RBS test is performed to confirm diabetes mellitus, during the treatment and after the treatment of diabetes mellitus.  A level of 200 mg/dl or higher is an indication of diabetes mellitus.

The main goal behind random blood sugar test is to check random blood sugar levels. Having a random blood sugar range of 200mg/dl or more is a clear indication of the presence of diabetes mellitus. With the diagnosis of diabetes, random blood sugar test helps in the timely treatment of the disease through monitoring during and after the treatment. A doctor can prescribe RBS test if the person complains of the following symptoms;

• Unintended Weight loss
• Dehydration and dry mouth
• Slow healing of wound
• Blurry vision
• Frequent urination

High blood sugar is commonly associated with diabetes but, there can be other reasons too apart from diabetes for the high blood sugar range like; overactive thyroid gland, inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatic cancer and several rare tumours. And as such, in some cases RBS test is not sufficient enough to confirm the diagnosis of diabetes and a person can be advised further testing like Oral Glucose – Tolerance Test, Fasting Blood Sugar, Two Hour Postprandial Test and Haemoglobin A1C Test. 

Random blood sugar lab test is a handy tool to keep track of the blood glucose level. The glucose levels vary between prior to eating and post meals level.  RBS test done within one or two hours of eating then the RBS normal value should be 180 mg/dl as per the American Diabetes Association and the RBS normal range should be anywhere between 80 mg/dl and 130 mg/dl prior to eating for healthy blood sugar levels in the body.  And if anyone reports a reading of 140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl then they are pre diabetic and can develop diabetes type 2, while a person with a reading of 200 mg/dl and above is most probably diabetic. 

24 to 36 Hours

The procedure for random blood sugar test is pretty simple and does not even require fasting unlike Fast Blood Glucose Test.  RBS test involves drawing of blood out from the veins by means of an injection.  Apart from a tiny prick not much discomfort is felt during the RBS test. 

No special preparation is required before having a random blood sugar test. Although, you do need to inform the doctor of any prior health condition or the intake of any steroid, as they too can be responsible for high glucose level.

Specimen type: Serum / Plasma (Blood Sample),

Specimen collection procedure: Venipuncture - (Collection of blood from a vein, usually from the arm).

RBS test costs vary from city to city and from one pathological lab to another.  The usual RBS test costs are very nominal and nothing exorbitant. 

It is important to get your blood glucose level tested at the slightest indication of any symptoms of diabetes, in order to get timely treatment for better control over the disease. However, in their busy life schedule, people keep postponing these essential tests until the symptoms go awry. To help these kinds of people, Portea offers at home lab testing through highly reliable, economical and standard procedures brought at the comfort of home. Moreover, Portea also ensures the timely delivery of the test reports to the person at his/her home as part of their at home healthcare services. So if you need blood glucose level tested or for that matter any other lab test you can just reach out to us and our representative will be there at your doorstep asap and would do the needful in a quick and painless manner.  

The Blood Sugar or Blood glucose test prices vary from one pathological lab to another. However, the RBS test cost is usually not too exorbitant and is easily affordable. The RBS test cost offered at home also differ from traditional pathological labs. Portea provides this test at a price of Rs 70*.