A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF 75-GRAM GLUCOSE CHALLENGE TEST, FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE AND POSTPRANDIAL PLASMA GLUCOSE FOR SCREENING GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy-related metabolic disorder that can result in adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. The prevalence of GDM varies between 1% and 14% globally, and the incidence is increasing in both developed and developing countries. Objectives: to compare the effectiveness of the 75-gram glucose challenge test (GCT) with fasting and postprandial plasma glucose values in the screening of GDM. Methods: A total of 250 pregnant women were recruited for this study. All participants underwent a 75- gram GCT, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, and postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) test. The results of these tests were compared to diagnose GDM. Results: Out of the 250 participants, 45 were diagnosed with GDM. The sensitivity and specificity of the GCT were 82.2% and 87.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the FPG test were 66.7% and 92.2%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the PPG test were 73.3% and 88.8%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the GCT was 61.2%, while the PPVs of the FPG and PPG tests were 55.6% and 57.1%, respectively. The negative predictive value (NPV) of the GCT was 94.2%, while the NPVs of the FPG and PPG tests were 92.9% and 93.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The 75-gram GCT had higher sensitivity and PPV compared to the FPG and PPG tests. The GCT was also effective in identifying women who were at high risk of developing GDM. Therefore, the 75-gram GCT can be considered a better screening tool for GDM compared to FPG and PPG tests.