PRECISION OF OFFICE-BASED BLOOD-GLUCOSE METERS IN SCREENING FOR GESTATIONAL DIABETES

OBJECTIVE: Is the precision of currently available glucose meters adeq uate for gestational diabetes screening? STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective cohort study of 62 gravid women and compared the precision of three glucose meters to laboratory standard technology. RESULTS: T he HemoCue coefficient of Variation was sufficiently low in venous who le blood and plasma and capillary whole blood and plasma (3.0%, 1.8%, 2.8%, and 2.3%, respectively) to allow use in gestational diabetes scr eening. The One Touch II coefficient of variation was sufficiently low in capillary whole blood (2.7%) to allow use in gestational diabetes screening but was too high in Venous whole blood and plasma and in cap illary plasma (3.6%, 7.8%, and 5.7%). The ExacTech coefficient of vari ation was too high in venous or capillary whole blood (5.4% and 8.1%) for use in gestational diabetes screening and does not analyze plasma samples. CONCLUSION: The HemoCue meter in venous and capillary whole b lood and plasma and the One Touch II meter in capillary whole blood ha ve coefficients of variation low enough for gestational diabetes scree ning.