UNIVERSAL SCREENING WITH GLUCOSE CHALLENGE TEST IN DETECTION OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Objective: To compare efficiency of glucose challenge test with oral glucose tolerance test for detection of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: This observational cross sectional study was conducted in The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sharif Medical and Dental College / Sharif Medical City Hospital, from December 2012 to June, 2013. 1000 consecutive pregnant ladies were included during this period between the gestational age group of 26 to 30 weeks by using convenient sampling technique after analysis of risk factors. All women undergo glucose challenge test (GCT) and glucose tolerance test (GTT). Results of GCT were compared with glucose tolerance test as gold standard. Results: Out of 1000 pregnant ladies, glucose challenge test screened 450 patients with positive results, and 550 patients with negative results. Out of 450 screened positive patients, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) detected 400 patients with true positive result and 50 patients with false positive results. Out of 550 screened negative patients of GCT, oral GTT detected 510 patients with true negative and forty patients with false negative results. So the sensitivity of GCT was 90.90%. Prevalence of gestational diabetes was 44%. Conclusion: Universal screening with glucose challenge test is a reliable cost effective and excellent screening test for gestational diabetes in low resource setting.