Alternate Names: Serum glucagon by RIA
How Performed: Adult or child:
Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
Infant or young child:
The area is cleansed with antiseptic and punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site if there is any continued bleeding.
Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is a specific laboratory technique.
How To Prepare: Adults:
There is no special preparation.
Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child’s age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child’s age:
How It Feels: When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Risks:
- excessive bleeding
- fainting or feeling lightheaded
- hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
- multiple punctures to locate veins
Why Performed: Glucagon levels may be measured in persons with chronically or repeatedly low blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Glucagon is a peptide (protein) hormone that is released from the pancreas. The main function of glucagon is to stimulate the liver to release glucose between meals (glucose is normally stored in the liver as glycogen), and release of amino acid (alanine) from muscles. Glucagon also increases fatty acid release from adipose (fat) tissue and synthesis of glucose (from lactate or amino acids) in the liver. As the level of glucose is decreased, glucagon secretion from the pancreas increases, and vice versa.
Normal Values: The normal range is 50 to 100 pg/ml.
Note: pg/ml = picograms per milliliter
Abnormal Results: Increased glucagon levels may indicate glucagonoma (glucagon-secreting tumor).
Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:
Cost:
Special Considerations: Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
