Advice for healthcare professionals over medical device alert
31 July 2007
A medical device alert has been issued about the following blood glucose meters: Roche’s Accu-chek, Roche’s Glucotrend and Abbott Diabetes Care’s Freestyle.
There is a risk of overestimation of blood glucose results when these meters are used on samples from patients on treatments that contain (or are metabolised to) maltose, xylose or galactose. This problem does not apply to treatments taken orally.
Treatments can include icodextrin, which is used in peritoneal dialysis, and certain immunoglobulin preparations used in treating patients pre and post surgery.
The meters use test strips that use the glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinolinequinone (GDH PQQ) technology.
If in any doubt about the validity of a result, the hospital’s clinical chemistry department should be contacted.
