Dictionary

Labs and diagnostics

Lab values with their normal and critical ranges, and the tests nurses prepare clients for.

g/dLGrams per deciliter: a unit for the amount of a substance in one-tenth of a liter of blood.

gamma-glutamyl transferaseAn enzyme found mostly in the liver and bile ducts, measured in a blood test.

glomerular filtrationThe first step in making urine, when the kidneys' tiny filters let water and small substances pass out of the blood.

glomerular filtration rateHow much blood the kidneys filter each minute, used as the main measure of kidney function.

glucoseA simple sugar that is the body's main source of energy.

glucose challenge testA pregnancy screening test that measures blood glucose 1 hour after drinking a sweet glucose drink.

Gram stainA lab staining method that sorts bacteria into two groups by the color they turn under the microscope.

gram-negativeDescribes bacteria that stain pink or red with the Gram stain because of the way their cell wall is built.

gram-positiveDescribes bacteria that stain purple with the Gram stain because of their thick cell wall.

group B streptococcus screenA swab test in late pregnancy that checks the vagina and rectum for group B streptococcus bacteria.