By Aurther Shoko
Blood glucose measurement is an integral part of diabetes care and prevention. This requires that measurements be taken on a regular basis which can also be used by a health care professional. Today the market is filled with a variety of blood monitors which one can purchase off the internet. This is similar to blood pressure monitors used in hypertension care.
Unlike blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters do not necessarily produce a similar standardized reading. Blood glucose meters come calibrated differently. To begin with blood glucose can be measured using whole blood or plasma. This means a meter can be calibrated to measure plasma or whole blood. Plasma is a part of the whole blood. The two have different numerical readings which however can be interpreted to mean one and the same thing by a knowledgeable person. This is were the confusion sets in.
Confusing blood glucose measurements often occur when patients purchase a new meter different from the old one. Often there is an expectation of similar readings and results. However, this is not always the case. This is because the new meter may be calibrated differently. Even though most blood meters are calibrated for whole blood measurements, there are also others that give readings using plasma levels which is only a part of whole blood.
The other concern that blood meter users have is the difference between lab results and results that are produced by their personal meter. This causes readings from the doctor's office to vary from those done at home by the patient. Again the answer lies in the fact that lab measurements are based on plasma part of the blood which excludes whole blood. On the other hand as mentioned before most home meters are whole blood calibrated. These samples which are different causes home meters to produce 12% lower results compared to plasma results from the lab.
It is possible to compare your white blood calibrated meter with plasma calibrated lab results. This is achieved by converting the lab results to be a white blood calibrated results. It is mathematically done by dividing the lab result with 1.12. Overall and as a rule, home blood meters are considered to have a clinically accurate result if the measurement falls within +/-20% of a reference result such as a lab test. To avoid the trouble of having to convert your results meet plasma readings, it is best to purchase a plasma calibrated blood meter.
Blood glucose measurement is an integral part of diabetes care and prevention. This requires that measurements be taken on a regular basis which can also be used by a health care professional. Today the market is filled with a variety of blood monitors which one can purchase off the internet. This is similar to blood pressure monitors used in hypertension care.
Unlike blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters do not necessarily produce a similar standardized reading. Blood glucose meters come calibrated differently. To begin with blood glucose can be measured using whole blood or plasma. This means a meter can be calibrated to measure plasma or whole blood. Plasma is a part of the whole blood. The two have different numerical readings which however can be interpreted to mean one and the same thing by a knowledgeable person. This is were the confusion sets in.
Confusing blood glucose measurements often occur when patients purchase a new meter different from the old one. Often there is an expectation of similar readings and results. However, this is not always the case. This is because the new meter may be calibrated differently. Even though most blood meters are calibrated for whole blood measurements, there are also others that give readings using plasma levels which is only a part of whole blood.
The other concern that blood meter users have is the difference between lab results and results that are produced by their personal meter. This causes readings from the doctor's office to vary from those done at home by the patient. Again the answer lies in the fact that lab measurements are based on plasma part of the blood which excludes whole blood. On the other hand as mentioned before most home meters are whole blood calibrated. These samples which are different causes home meters to produce 12% lower results compared to plasma results from the lab.
It is possible to compare your white blood calibrated meter with plasma calibrated lab results. This is achieved by converting the lab results to be a white blood calibrated results. It is mathematically done by dividing the lab result with 1.12. Overall and as a rule, home blood meters are considered to have a clinically accurate result if the measurement falls within +/-20% of a reference result such as a lab test. To avoid the trouble of having to convert your results meet plasma readings, it is best to purchase a plasma calibrated blood meter.
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