The cortisone glucose tolerance test (cortisone GTT) combines administration of a carbohydrate challenge with a cortisone challenge. Cortisone enhances the synthesis of glucose from amino acids and fatty acids (gluconeogenesis) and, when administered with a glucose load, may produce an abnormal GTT that would not otherwise be evident. The cortisone GTT is used only in certain clinical situations and for research purposes.
Nursing Care Before the Procedure
Client preparation is essentially the same as that for the OGTT.
The procedure is the same as that for the OGTT except that cortisone acetate is administered orally 8 hours and again 2 hours before the standard GTT is begun.