CHAPTER 2

COMMON DIAGNOSTIC
TESTS REQUIRING
DIETARY PREPARATIONS
 Intended Learning Outcomes

• Determine, discuss, and interpret the common

diagnostic tests requiring dietary preparations
 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
• Conducted on a sample of blood, urine, stool or tissue, assess
whether a person has a specific condition, biomarker or genetic
predisposition.
• They are often conducted away from the patient in clinical
laboratories, which makes them less visible and their role less well
known.
• But this too is changing as more and more tests are being created for
at-home use. From pregnancy tests to diabetes monitors, in vitro
diagnostics are empowering patients’ with information about their
health and giving doctors the tools that they need to choose optimal
treatments for the people in their care.
 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Purposes: For the purpose of diagnosing, monitoring, screening and prognosis,
in vitro diagnostic tests are essential at every step
• Diagnosis 
• Is the process of finding out if a patient has a specific disease. A medical
professional prescribes a test to make a diagnosis or to exclude possible
illness. The clinical course in the first case will be to implement appropriate
treatment for the diagnosed disease, while in the second case – other
diagnostic tests have to be pursued. For some diseases, it is not only
important to know what the nature of the disease is but also the degree of
development. Doctors may need to be aware of the stage of the disease, its
progresses, whether it is stable or in regression. Likewise, diagnostic tests also
allow doctors to assess whether the chosen treatment is effective in stopping
the progression of the disease, a method that has already been commonly
used in the treatment of cancer.
 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Purposes: For the purpose of diagnosing, monitoring, screening and prognosis,
in vitro diagnostic tests are essential at every step

• Monitoring
•  Intends to see if the disease is controlled, a purpose that is very common in
chronic diseases such as diabetes. Chronic diseases cannot be cured, but
patients can avoid getting worse through the use of medications, hormones,
or lifestyle changes. Monitoring allows for the control of such diseases.
 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Purposes: For the purpose of diagnosing, monitoring, screening and prognosis,
in vitro diagnostic tests are essential at every step

• Screening 
• Consists of studying patients who do not yet present any signs or symptoms
of a specific illness in order to find out if it has begun to quietly develop and
if so, to be able to apply treatment as soon as possible. These tests are
applied to large segments of the population and should therefore be simple
and cheap. Their primary purpose is not so much diagnosing a disease, but
rather identifying those people that may have it.
 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Purposes: For the purpose of diagnosing, monitoring, screening and prognosis,
in vitro diagnostic tests are essential at every step

• Prognosis 
• Allows clinicians to assess the likelihood a patient has for developing a
disease in the future and therefore take precautions earlier rather than later.
Genetic tests, for example, analyse a patient’s predisposition for developing
a disease, allowing the patient and doctor to be more attentive to
discovering early signs of the disease and to take preventive measures as
needed.
HEMATOLOGY
Blood Glucose Test
• A blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in your blood.
Glucose, a type of simple sugar, is your body’s main source of energy.
Your body converts the carbohydrates you eat into glucose.
• For a fasting blood glucose test, you can’t eat or drink anything but
water for eight hours before your test. You may want to schedule a
fasting glucose test first thing in the morning so you don’t have to fast
during the day. You may eat and drink before a random glucose test.
• Fasting tests are more common because they provide more accurate
results and are easier to interpret.
HEMATOLOGY
Liver Function Test
• Liver function tests, also known as liver chemistries, help determine
the health of your liver by measuring the levels of proteins, liver
enzymes, and bilirubin in your blood.
• Avoid eating anything for a period of time before the test. Be sure to
continue drinking water prior to the test.
HEMATOLOGY
Cholesterol Test
• A complete cholesterol test is also called a lipid panel or lipid profile.
Your doctor can use it to measure the amount of “good” and “bad”
cholesterol and triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood.
• If you’re only getting your HDL and total cholesterol levels checked,
you may be able to eat beforehand. However, if you’re having a
complete lipid profile done, you should avoid eating or drinking
anything other than water for nine to 12 hours before your test.
HEMATOLOGY
Triglyceride Level Test
• The triglyceride level test helps measure the amount of triglycerides in
your blood. Triglycerides are a type of fat, or lipid, found in the blood.
• You should fast for 9 to 14 hours before the test and drink only water
during that period. Your doctor will specify how much time you
should fast before the test. You should also avoid alcohol for 24 hours
before the test.
HEMATOLOGY
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) level test
• A high-density lipoprotein (HDL) test measures the level of good
cholesterol in your blood. 
• These may include not taking certain medications for a short period or
fasting for up to 12 hours before the test.
HEMATOLOGY
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level test
• LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein, a type of cholesterol found in
your body. LDL is often referred to as bad cholesterol. 
• You should not eat or drink for 10 hours before the test, since food and
drinks can temporarily change the levels of cholesterol in your blood.
However, it is okay to have water. You may wish to schedule your test
for first thing in the morning so you don’t need to fast during the day.
URINE TESTS
Metanephrine Urine Test
• avoid caffeine for 24 hours and during collection of your specimen.
URINE TESTS
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (5HIAA) Urine Test
• If your doctor has ordered a test for 5HIAA in your urine, you should
avoid the following foods and drugs for at least a 48-hour period
before and during collection of your specimen
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
CT Scans - Abdomen/Pelvis
• For all abdominal and pelvis CT scans, you are not required to drink
oral contrast, unless specifically noted by your physician.
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
Fluoroscopy
• At noon the day before the exam, you will begin drinking clear liquids
(plain Jell-O with no fruit added, apple juice, grape juice, cranapple
juice, bouillon, coffee, tea [sugar may be added, but no milk or
cream]). No cream soups. Any liquid you can see through may be
used.
• Fluids are essential. Drink 8 ounces of water per hour for 6 hours if
possible. Continue to drink clear liquids from noon until midnight.
Avoid fizzy liquids (pop, beer, Alka-Seltzer, etc.)
• After midnight, do not take anything by mouth until after the exam.
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
Mammogram
• Refrain from consuming caffeine for 48 hours before the exam
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
MRI – GI Studies
• Esophagus - Take nothing by mouth after midnight the day before the
exam
• Small Bowel Series - Take nothing by mouth after midnight the day
before the exam
• Upper Gastro Intestinal (UGI) - Take nothing by mouth after midnight
the day before the exam
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
IVP (Intravenous Pyelogram)
• At noon the day before the exam, begin drinking clear liquids (plain
Jell-O with no fruit added, apple juice, grape juice, cranapple juice,
bouillon, coffee, tea [sugar may be added, but no milk or cream]). No
cream soups. Any liquid you can see through may be used.
• Fluids are essential. Drink 8 ounces of water per hour for 6 hours if
possible. Continue to drink clear liquids from noon until midnight.
Avoid fizzy liquids (pop, beer, Alka-Seltzer, etc.)
• After midnight, do not take anything by mouth until after the exam.
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
Nuclear Medicine
• Cardiolite Scan
• Take nothing by mouth 3-4 hours before the exam.
• Gallbladder (Hepatobiliary) Scan
• Take nothing by mouth 4-6 hours before the exam.
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
Ultrasound
• Fetal and Pelvic
• Your bladder should be full when arriving for your appointment,
which will provide a higher quality of examination. If the bladder is
not full, this will make it difficult to perform the examination and you
will be required to drink fluids before your test can proceed.
• Gallbladder/ RUQ/Abdomen/Liver/Pancreas
• Eat a fat-free meal the evening before. Take nothing by mouth after midnight.
Do not smoke the morning of the exam.
RADIOLOGIC TESTS
Ultrasound
• Fetal and Pelvic
• Your bladder should be full when arriving for your appointment,
which will provide a higher quality of examination. If the bladder is
not full, this will make it difficult to perform the examination and you
will be required to drink fluids before your test can proceed.
• Gallbladder/ RUQ/Abdomen/Liver/Pancreas
• Eat a fat-free meal the evening before. Take nothing by mouth after midnight.
Do not smoke the morning of the exam.
STOOL TESTS
Fecal Occult blood tests
• Two days before and the day of the fecal occult blood test, cut out all 
red meat, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers,
grapefruit, horseradish, mushrooms, radishes, and turnips, which can
all trigger false alarms.
• Avoid vitamin C pills. The nutrient interferes with the chemical
reaction that occurs when blood is present, increasing the risk of a
false negative result, so stay away from supplements, and food or
drinks fortified with the vitamin, for about three days before a fecal
occult blood test
Reference
• Weatherspoon D. 2018. Everything You need to Know About Fasting Before a Blood Test.
Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/fasting-before-blood-test
• https://www.myhorizonhealth.org/services/radiology/preparing-for-radiology-test/
• Levine, H. 2016. How to Prep for a Fecal Occult Blood Test: Many factors can cause false
positives, including eating red meat and taking vitamins. Retrieved from
https://www.consumerreports.org/conditions-treatments/how-to-prep-for-fecal-occult-blood-test/#:
~:text=Here's%20how%20to%20do%20the,can%20all%20trigger%20false%20alarms
.
• Santasusagna, L.B. 2012. What’s the purpose of a diagnostic test? Retrieve from
http://www.medtechviews.eu/article/what%E2%80%99s-purpose-diagnostic-test