Evaluation of an electrochemical sensor for measuring blood ketones.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of a hand-held ketone sensor that is able to measure blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-HBA) concentrations within 30 s in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and patients who attend a weight management clinic.


METHODS
Two groups of patients were studied: 19 patients admitted with DKA and 156 patients attending a weight management clinic. Paired capillary and venous whole blood samples were measured using the ketone sensor and also using an enzymatic laboratory reference method.


RESULTS
The ketone sensor accurately measured beta-HBA concentrations in patients with DKA (limits of agreement -0.9 to + 1.0 mmol/l) or starvation-induced ketonemia (limits of agreement -0.5 to +0.5 mmol/l).


CONCLUSIONS
This ketone sensor accurately measures whole blood beta-HBA concentrations within 30 s.
Byrne
H A
HA
Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Hope Hospital, Salford, U.K.
Tieszen
K L
KL
Hollis
S
S
Dornan
T L
TL
New
J P
JP
D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D007657:Ketone Bodies; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid