MPAS Common Lab Tests: Urinalysis Practice Test

A positive urine glucose points to possible elevated blood glucose and suggests evaluating for diabetes. The kidneys reabsorb most filtered glucose, but when blood glucose rises high enough (roughly above 180 mg/dL), glucose spills into the urine. If glycosuria is present, especially on repeated testing, the appropriate next step is to assess for diabetes using blood tests such as fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, or an oral glucose tolerance test to meet diagnostic criteria. Glycosuria can occur without diabetes (like in renal glucose handling variants or pregnancy), so blood tests are needed to confirm. The other options don’t address the cause of glucose in urine: urine culture checks for infection, a lipid panel examines lipids, and a renal ultrasound looks for structural kidney issues.