The DIPSI Test: What to Expect
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
The test most commonly used for GDM in India is the DIPSI method, and its design is worth understanding because it differs from what you may read on foreign websites.
It is a single-step test. You are given a 75 gram glucose drink, and a single blood sample is taken two hours later. That is the whole procedure.
The number that matters is 140 mg/dL. A two-hour result at or above that level is diagnostic of GDM.
The important design feature is that it does not require fasting. You can have the drink whether or not you have eaten. This was a deliberate choice for Indian conditions — asking a nauseous pregnant woman to arrive fasting, often after travelling some distance, means many simply do not come back, and a test nobody takes finds nothing.
In studies comparing it against the older two-step fasting approach, DIPSI performed well, and it is described as simple, economical and convenient.
Practically: you do not need to skip breakfast, you will be there around two hours, and the glucose drink is very sweet and occasionally causes nausea. Tell the staff if you vomit after drinking it, because the test will usually need repeating.
You should get a single number back. If it is 140 mg/dL or above, that is your diagnosis.