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Correspondence: Paul Simpson, PhD Locked Bag 1797 Penrith, NSW 2751 Australia E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
Blood glucose level (BGL) is a core vital sign that is routinely performed by paramedics when assessing patients in the out-of-hospital setting. 1 While BGL is most commonly measured in patients experiencing suspected hyper- or hypo-glycemic episodes, it plays an important role in determining the broader physiological status of patients presenting with medical illness or major traumatic injury.
In the context of out-of-hospital care, paramedics most commonly measure BGL via a “finger-prick” technique in which a lancet is used to pierce the skin superficially on the tip of a finger. A small sample of capillary blood is squeezed from the finger and applied to an electrode, or “test strip,” then inserted into a calibrated point-of-care, hand-held glucometer. These glucometers are usually designed and engineered to analyze samples of blood of capillary origin and are capable of returning a BGL measurement within seconds. An alternative approach, less commonly seen in practice, involves testing BGL using blood of venous origin drawn from a vein after an intravenous (IV) cannula has been inserted. 2 Anecdotally, this practice occurs when IV access is already in place, or will be in place, before a “finger-prick” BGL can or has been taken, often with the rationale that this approach will cause less discomfort to the patient. A concern with this approach relates to the accuracy of the BGL measurement arising from venous blood when analyzed using a capillary sample calibrated glucometer. Secondary to this is whether any such inaccuracy could have clinically significant impacts on subsequent decision making.
The aim of this prospective study was to compare mean difference in BGL between venous and capillary blood from healthy volunteers when measured using a capillary-based, hand-held, point-of-care glucometer.
Methods
Study Design
The study utilized a prospective comparative observational design.
Setting
The study was conducted within the School of Science and Health at Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Participants and Recruitment
Participants were non-fasted students or staff at Western Sydney University, constituting a healthy volunteer population. In order to be eligible for inclusion, participants had to be 18 years or older and be a current student or staff member at the University. Participants were excluded if...