Quality assessment of glucose estimation by Reflocheck glucose meter at nursing stations. An exercise in extra laboratory tests.

The use of reagent strips to monitor blood glucose concentrations via glucose meters in diabetic patients is gaining popularity mainly due to their favourable performance as compared to the autoanalyser methods. As part of a programme of extra laboratory tests, such estimations were performed at a medical nursing station and results compared with simultaneous estimations in the clinical laboratory on autoanalyser. Observations in the first three months of the trial by untrained and unspecified operators were % total difference 16.0 ± 18.6. The % of results more than and less than autoanalyser were 13.2± 16.2 and 18.7 ± 21.4 respectively. During the second three months of the trial results were returned by one specified and trained operator. Results as compared to the autoanalyser were, % total difference 10.09 ± 12.4, more than 8.78 ± 10.9 and less than 14.0 ± 16.0. In this second trial the % total difference in glucose range 100—200 mg/dI was 8.25 ± 6.47, in range 200-300 mg/dl was 9.9 ± 15.0 and range 300-400 mg/dl was 13.9 ±16.3. The results of the second trial conducted by a single trained operator were better than the first trial because majority of the results were within or around 10% accepted deviation. Results show the use of reagent strips and Reflocheck at nursing stations are a viable proposition for monitoring diabetic patients, provided the tests are conducted by trained and specified operators. Our results also confirm observations that results obtained by strip glucose meters are comparable to standardised laboratory estimation of glucose. We conclude that strict quality control is necessary for the use of these strips in the hospital, clinic and home environments (JPMA 38: 75 , 1988).