Assessment of five portable blood glucose meters, a point-of-care analyzer, and color test strips for measuring blood glucose concentration in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To compare blood glucose concentrations obtained using a point-of-care (POC) analyzer, 5 portable blood glucose meters (PBGM), and a color reagent test strip with concentrations obtained using a reference method, and to compare glucose concentrations obtained using fresh blood samples in the PBGM with concentrations obtained using blood anticoagulated with lithium heparin.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
110 blood samples from 34 dogs; glucose concentration of the samples ranged from 41 to 596 mg/dl.


METHODS
Logistic regression was used to compare blood glucose concentrations obtained with the various devices with reference method concentrations. Ease of use was evaluated subjectively. Percentage of times a clinical decision would have been altered if results of each of these methods had been used, rather than results of the reference method, was calculated.


RESULTS
For 3 of the PBGM, blood glucose concentrations obtained with fresh blood were not significantly different from concentrations obtained with blood samples anticoagulated with lithium heparin. None of the devices provided results statistically equivalent to results of the reference method, but the POC analyzer was more accurate than the others. For some samples, reliance on results of the PBGM or the color test strip would have resulted in erroneous clinical decisions.


CONCLUSIONS
Although commercially available PBGM and color test strips provided blood glucose concentrations reasonably close to those obtained with reference methods, some devices were more accurate than others. Use of results from these devices could lead to erroneous clinical decisions in some cases.
Cohn
L A
LA
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA.
McCaw
D L
DL
Tate
D J
DJ
Johnson
J C
JC
D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D006493:Heparin; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D016014:Linear Models; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000662:veterinary
D000925:Anticoagulants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006493:Heparin