Bedside glucose monitoring system also manages data, quality control

We evaluated the clinical performance of a new-generation meter system (Glu cometer Encore QA+ [Bayer, Tarrytown NY]) for bedside glucose monitoring at one hospital laboratory and two bedside-testing locations. Within-run coef ficients of variation ranged from 2.8% to 5.2%, and overall values ranged f rom 4.0% to 6.2% for three levels of aqueous glucose control. Meter results obtained by one medical technologist, four phlebotomists, and six nurses c orrelated well with laboratory plasma glucose levels. For the three sites m eter glucose results at the 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) level were biased by -3 % to +2% when compared with those obtained in plasma at the hospital labora tory. We considered the system's performance to be acceptable for point-of- care testing. The meter's data management and record-keeping features incre ased the ease of overseeing and tracking quality control compliance.