Cortrosyn stimulation test
This test includes three separate blood cortisol levels, including a baseline, and collections 30 minutes and one hour after an injection of Cortrosyn. You must remain at the site for the 90 minutes.  Outpatients must schedule this test with the Beech Grove Campus Medical Clinics (783-8233)

Fasting specimens
If your physician orders a fasting blood test, you could be asked to fast for 8 – 14 hours, depending upon the test.  Fasting means you should not have anything to eat or drink, except water.  Continue to take any medication which has been prescribed for you, unless your physician tells you not to.  Do not chew gum, even the sugarless variety.  Smoking and exercise may affect your results as well, so do not smoke or exercise before your test.  Some fasting tests include fasting triglycerides, fasting glucose, lipid profile, insulin and gastrin levels.

Gestational Diabetic Screen
You do not need to be fasting. 

At the lab:  50 gm of dextrose (liquid beverage) is ingested within five minutes.  A blood sample is drawn one hour after completion of the beverage.

Glucose tolerance test
Before the test: Make sure you schedule this test with the lab before coming in. You must fast for 8 to 12 hours (no food or drink, except water) before the test. 

At the lab: A baseline (fasting) blood sugar is drawn, 75 gm of dextrose (liquid beverage) is ingested within five minutes.  A second blood glucose is collected two hours after completion of the beverage.  Patient must remain at the site for the duration of the test.

Glucose tolerance test, gestational
Before the test: Make sure you schedule this test with the lab before coming in. You must fast for 8 to 12 hours (no food or drink, except water) before the test. 

At the lab: A baseline is drawn, and 100 gm of dextrose (liquid beverage) is ingested within five minutes.  Blood specimens are drawn at one, two and three hours after completion of the beverage. Patient must remain at the site for the duration of the test.

Hydrogen breath test
Before the test: Make sure you schedule this test with the lab before coming in. You must fast for 10 to 16 hours (no food or drink, except water) before the test and you must remain fasting throughout.   No smoking from two hours before the test until the last collection.  

At the lab: Containers are provided by the laboratory for specimen collection.  Breath samples are collected every 30 minutes for six hours. You must remain at the site for the duration of the test.

Lactose tolerance test
Before the test: Make sure you schedule this test with the lab before coming in. You must fast for 8 to 12 hours (no food or drink, except water) before the test and you must remain fasting throughout. 

At the lab: A blood specimen is drawn as a baseline.  A lactose dose is injested.  Blood specimens are then drawn 30 minutes, one hour, 90 minutes and two hours after the ingestion. You must remain at the site for the duration of the test. 
 
Lead, blood
Before the test: For three days prior to the test, avoid seafood, antacids, vitamins with mineral supplements and herbal preparations. 

Lipid Profile
This test requires a 14-hour fast prior to blood collection.

Metanephrines, urine
This test requires a 24-hour collection (for collection instructions, see Timed Urine Collections

Occult blood
This test requires only a small amount of feces.  The specimen can be returned to the laboratory for testing, or if you take a card home for self-testing, it must be returned within 14 days or it will be invalid.

Before the test: You should follow a high-fiber diet starting 2 (two) days before and continuing throughout the test period. 

Diet may include:
1.  Only small amounts of well-cooked chicken, turkey and tuna;
2.  Generous amounts of both raw and cooked vegetables, including lettuce, corn, spinach, celery and carrots;
3.  Plenty of fruits, especially prunes and apples;
4.  Bran and bran-containing cereals;
5.  Moderate amounts of peanuts and popcorn daily

Foods to be avoided include:
1.  Red or rare meats
2.  Fruits and vegetables containing high peroxidase activity, including turnips, cauliflower, red radishes, broccoli, cantaloupe, horseradish and parsnips

Other factors which may affect the test:
1.  Aspirin - do not ingest aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medicines for seven days prior to and 
during the testing;
2.  Rectal preparations – do not use for two days prior to and during the test
3.  Ascorbic acid – do not use tonics or vitamin preparations that contain Vitamin C in excess of 250 mg per day

Serotonin, blood
Before the test: For three days prior to the collection, avoid tobacco, tea, coffee, avocado, bananas, tomatoes, plums, walnuts, pineapple and eggplant.
 
Serotonin metabolite (5HIAA) collection
This test requires a 24-hour urine collection (for collection instructions, see Timed Urine Collections

Before the test: For three days prior to and throughout the collection, avoid:

• nicotine (cigarettes, patches, gum)
• caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas)
• avocado
• bananas
• tomatoes
• plums
• nuts (especially walnuts)
• pineapple
• eggplant
• plantains
• kiwi

Timed fecal specimen

This test requires a special diet of 100-150 grams of fat per day for 3 days before the test is started. Alcohol should be avoided for 24 hours before the test. Avoid the use of all laxatives.

A recommended test diet (80 –100 g fat / day) prior to doing the test (for up to 3 days in a row) is the following:

• 2 cups whole milk  (20 grams fat)
• 8 oz. lean meat or 5 oz. medium-fat meat (24 - 25 grams fat)
• 1 egg  (5 grams fat)
• 5 servings fruits and vegetables  (trace fat)
• 6 servings whole-grain breads or enriched breads or cereal  (trace fat)
• 10 teaspoons fat (e.g. margarine, oil, mayonnaise)  (50 grams fat)

Total fat: About 100 grams

Triglycerides
This test requires a 14-hour fast prior to specimen collection.  (See fasting specimens).

Vanillylmandelic Acid (VMA)
This test requires a 24-hour urine collection (for collection instructions, see Timed Urine Collections

Check with the ordering physician about withholding medications for three days prior to and throughout the collection. Common anti-hypertensive agents (blood pressure medication) cause minimal or no interference.

Patients should avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco (including use of the nicotine patch), bananas, citrus fruits and strenuous exercise for 3 days before collection.

Xylose absorption panel
Before the test: You must schedule this test with the lab. This test requires an eight-hour fast (no food or drink, except water) before the test, and you must remain fasting throughout. 

This panel requires two blood specimens and a five-hour urine specimen.  A fasting blood sample is drawn and the patient empties their bladder.  After administration of the oral xylose, urine is collected for the next five hours, and a blood specimen is drawn at two hours post-xylose. You must remain at the site for the duration of the test.  Smoking is prohibited during this test. The patient should rest in a chair until completion of the test. Mild diarrhea is common following xylose ingestion.