THE EFFECT OF HEMOLYSIS ON BLOOD-GLUCOSE METER MEASUREMENT

A study was performed to assess the effect of varying degrees of sampl e haemolysis on the measurement of blood glucose by the Accutrend, Com panion 2, ExacTech, Glucometer II, Glucometer 4, One Touch II, and Ref lolux II blood glucose meters. Fresh venous blood was sonicated to ind uce complete haemolysis and then added in increasing proportions to ho mologous untreated blood to obtain nine samples with free haemoglobin concentrations up to 50g l(-1). The Accutrend meter showed the only si gnificant (p<0.05) linear relationship to degree of haemolysis (r = 0. 988, p<0.0001). For every 7 % of red cells lysed, the Accutrend value increased by 15 %. All other meters gave results which were within 15 % of the non-haemolysed value. However, extreme (100 %) haemolysis not only affected the Accutrend (glucose value 108 % greater than referen ce) but also the ExacTech (+98 %), the Clucometer 11 (-32 %), and the Companion 2 (-41 %). Thus, unwitting use of a haemolysed sample to mea sure whole blood glucose may, with the Accutrend in particular, lead t o erroneous results.