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Effect of haematocrit on blood glucose measurements

Effect of haematocrit on blood glucose measurements

Monday 23rd October 2017

Over and under estimation of blood glucose levels due to the haematocrit level is a common source of error in self monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). Anaemia falsely elevates whilst polycythaemia and dehydration falsely depresses blood glucose levels. The magnitude of this effect may vary about 4 to 30% for every 10% change in haematocrit depending on the blood glucose meter used (1,2,3).

According to the WHO, anaemia affects almost a quarter of the world population representing around half of pre-school children and 2 in 5 pregnant women (4).

Although some blood glucose meters have errors as high as 40%, the innovative automatic haematocrit correction technology used by VivaChek ensures that the VivaChek Ino blood glucose meter provides accurate results for patients with extremes of haematocrit levels of 20 to 70%.

1. Consensus Statement on Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose. Diabetes Care 1987; 1:95-99
2. The effect of haematocrit on reagent test strips for glucose. Diabet Med. 1991;8(2):172-175
3. Factors Affecting Blood Glucose Monitoring: Sources of Errors in Measurement. J Diabetes Sci Technol. Jul 2009;3(4):903-913
4. Worldwide prevalence of anaemia 1993-2005, WHO Global Database on Anaemia, Geneva, World Health Organization, 2008