Question

a 9 - year - old boy is brought to the hospital in an unresponsive state. he has a recent history of weight loss, weakness and increased thirst and urination. what is the most useful laboratory test in this case?
a) serum protein
b) kidney panel
c) serum glucose
d) hgba1c
e) alt

Explanation:

The patient has symptoms of weight loss, weakness, increased thirst and urination, which are classic symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Serum glucose test can quickly determine if the blood glucose level is elevated, which is crucial for diagnosing diabetes in this acute situation. Serum protein test is more related to nutritional status or liver/kidney function in terms of protein metabolism. Kidney panel mainly assesses kidney function (e.g., creatinine, urea), but the primary concern here is glucose - related disorder. HgbA1c reflects long - term (2 - 3 months) average blood glucose level, which is not as useful as a serum glucose test in an acute, unresponsive state. ALT is mainly an indicator of liver function.

Answer:

C. Serum glucose