Certified Diabetes Educator Practice Exam

In the context of diagnosing gestational diabetes, the 2-hour post-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results are critical in determining whether a patient has impaired glucose tolerance. The diagnostic criteria generally indicate the following: a value of 140 mg/dL or higher is concerning, and the specific threshold for a definitive diagnosis of gestational diabetes is set at 153 mg/dL or above.

When the post-OGTT result exceeds 153 mg/dL, it indicates that the glucose level is significantly elevated and suggests that the individual's body is not effectively managing blood sugar after a glucose challenge. This aligns with the clinical guidelines that classify such a result as diagnostic of gestational diabetes. Consequently, this threshold is particularly important because it informs both the diagnosis and subsequent management plans for the patient.

Values that fall below 140 mg/dL are considered within the normal range, while those between 140 and 153 mg/dL may indicate a need for further monitoring but are generally not sufficient for a gestational diabetes diagnosis. Values greater than 160 mg/dL also indicate elevated glucose levels, but since the focus here is on identifying the minimum diagnostic threshold, the value greater than 153 mg/dL clearly indicates a problem that would necessitate