title: Suboptimal performance of blood glucose meters in an antenatal diabetes clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of blood glucose meters in diabetes associated with pregnancy (DP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Finger-prick blood glucose levels measured using six different glucose meters on 102 patients with DP attending an antenatal clinic were compared with laboratory plasma glucose results. HbA(1c) and hematocrit were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma glucose range was 2.2-9.4 mmol/L with hematocrit 33-37% and mean HbA(1c) 5.5% ± 0.56 (SD). All meters provided plasma equivalent results except one, which reported whole blood glucose that was adjusted to plasma equivalent values. The absolute glucose difference [meter--plasma glucose] was 0.232 ± 0.69 to 0.725 ± 0.62 mmol/L mean ± SD and bias ranged from 6.1 to 15.8%. Two meters were affected by hematocrit <36% (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood glucose meters in current use are not optimally accurate when compared with plasma glucose measurement in DP. Recognition of this deviation is essential to prevent inappropriate treatment of DP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. nimalie.perera@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Nimalie Jacintha
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molyneaux
authors.forename: Maria Ines
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Constantino
authors.forename: Marg
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.forename: Dennis Koon-See
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Stephen Morris
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Twigg
authors.forename: Glynis Pauline
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human