title: Comparison of three point-of-care blood glucose meters for use in adult and juvenile alpacas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the performance of 3 point-of-care glucose meters in adult and juvenile alpacas with that of a laboratory-based analyzer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation study.
  
  
  METHODS
  35 adult alpacas and 21 juvenile alpacas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole blood samples obtained via jugular venipuncture were tested with all 3 point-of-care glucose meters; plasma samples were also tested with 1 of those meters. Glucose concentrations determined by use of the point-of-care meters were compared with results from the laboratory-based analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma glucose concentrations determined by use of the laboratory-based analyzer ranged from 36 to 693 mg/dL. Over the entire range of glucose concentrations tested, the Lin concordance correlation coefficient (agreement) was significant and excellent for all comparisons. Concordance decreased for 1 glucometer when testing whole blood samples over a narrower range of glucose concentrations (50 to 200 mg/dL). Bias was typically small (< 10 mg/dL) for 3 of the 4 comparisons but considerable for 1 meter with the use of whole blood. The limits of agreement were wide for all comparisons over the entire range of glucose concentrations tested but decreased to within acceptable limits when the narrower glucose range (50 to 200 mg/dL) was analyzed for 3 of the comparisons. For samples with a PCV < 25%, bias and the limits of agreement were greater for one of the meters tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Discrepancies between point-of-care glucose meters and reference techniques can be considerable in alpacas, emphasizing the importance of assessing individual meter performance in a target population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. ennentb@uga.edu
authors.forename: Brett S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Tennent-Brown
authors.forename: Amie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Lisa H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Raymond C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Boston
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000662:veterinary*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose