RBS (Random Blood Sugar)

A random blood sugar test helps find blood sugar levels at a short notice. This is a test that does not require fasting and hence the term ‘random’.

Other names: Random Blood Sugar test, RBS

The food we eat is converted to glucose and the level of glucose in the blood is controlled by insulin. In a diabetic person, either there is not enough insulin produced or there is insulin impairment. An overnight fasting result helps your doctor understand the baseline level. It is also important to remember that blood sugar levels will also elevate in trauma, after surgery, during illness, steroid medications, etc.

Why Random Blood Sugar test?

Diabetes is a condition that involves your body’s ability to release insulin from the pancreas. Insulin is primarily responsible for regulating the blood glucose levels and help release glucose in to the bloodstream which is finally used as energy by the body. When a person is diabetic, this process is impaired.

Early symptoms of diabetes are excessive urination and thirst. Sugar levels rise in the blood and is filtered out through the kidneys in excessive amounts and this leads to dehydration. Other symptoms include weight loss, blurred vision, fatigue, wounds not healing etc.

Who should get tested for Random Blood Sugar Test?

In people with diabetes and prediabetes, glucose levels could be different at different points in the day and especially if the person is not managing it well. Therefore, recording random results throughout the day can give an indication of how well diabetes is being managed, thus making it one of the important tests in diabetes management. If the random blood sugar levels are acceptable, it means that your management of diabetes is working.

Reference values for Random Blood Sugar : <200 mg/dL

Interpretation:

Your test levels will indicate whether you have normal blood sugar levels, or are pre-diabetic or are diabetic or are having uncontrolled diabetes.