The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7462 p94
28 July 2007

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Warning over metabolites causing glucose meters to misread

Home glucose meters may overestimate blood sugar levels of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis or receiving immunoglobulin preparations, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has warned.

The warning follows reports of errors in glucose level measurements in patients treated with non-oral medicines that are metabolised to or contain maltose, xylose or galactose. These treatments include icodextrin (Extraneal), used in peritoneal dialysis, and immunoglobulin preparations, used for treating surgical patients. Orally administered treatments do not cause this problem, the MHRA stresses.

The reported incidents involved Roche Accu-Chek and Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle blood glucose meters. However, the MHRA’s warning applies to all Roche blood glucose meters and all Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle blood glucose meters. These meters use the glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinolinequinone technology. The MHRA says it is not aware of similar problems with other meters and test strips.