Hyperglycemia is typically defined as plasma glucose greater than which value?

• A. 130 mg/dL
• B. 140 mg/dL
• C. 160 mg/dL
• D. 150 mg/dL

Answer: (D)

Hyperglycemia is defined by the blood glucose level being higher than a set threshold that signals excessive glucose in the blood. In neonatal practice, a commonly used definitional threshold is greater than 150 mg/dL (about 8.3 mmol/L). This cut-off gives clinicians a practical point to flag elevations that may require closer monitoring or intervention, since neonates have unique metabolic handling and are at risk for osmotic complications if glucose is too high for too long.

Lower values like 130 or 140 mg/dL can represent mild elevations but are not the standard definitional boundary used to label hyperglycemia in most NICU protocols. A higher threshold, such as 160 mg/dL, is above the typical cut-off and would not align with the conventional definition used in many guidelines.