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MEDICAL DEVICE ALERT: Blood glucose meters (26 July 2007)

Roche Accu-Chek, Roche Glucotrend and Abbott Diabetes Care FreeStyle point-of-care and home-use blood glucose meters should not be used to measure the blood glucose of patients receiving treatments that contain (or are metabolised to) maltose, xylose or galactose.

Treatments known to contain (or be metabolised to) maltose, xylose or galactose include: icodextrin (Extraneal), used in peritoneal dialysis, and certain immunoglobulin preparations used in treating surgery patients. Oral treatments that contain (or are metabolised to) maltose, xylose or galactose are not affected by this problem.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is aware of incidents involving Roche Accu-Chek and Abbott Freestyle blood glucose meters, in which patient treatments that contain (or are metabolised to) maltose, xylose or galactose, have caused overestimation of glucose levels.

All Roche blood glucose meters and all Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle blood glucose meters are affected by this problem. The MHRA says it is not aware of any problems with other meters and test strips.

Health care professionals managing patients who monitor their blood glucose using these meters (and health care professionals who use these meters) who are unsure if a particular patient treatment contains (or is metabolised to) maltose, xylose or galactose should consult the medicines information department of their local hospital pharmacy.