Comparison of the Accu-Chek Aviva point-of-care glucometer with blood gas and laboratory methods of analysis of glucose measurement in equine emergency patients.
Authors: Hollis A R, Dallap Schaer B L, Boston R C, Wilkins P A
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary When managing critically ill horses, rapid point-of-care glucose measurement can guide urgent treatment decisions, yet the accuracy of commonly used methods in equine emergency settings remained poorly characterised. Researchers compared glucose readings from 50 emergency admissions using four different analytical approaches: portable glucometry on whole blood and plasma separately, blood gas analysis, and standard laboratory plasma analysis. Portable glucometry performed on plasma achieved excellent concordance with laboratory results (0.977), as did blood gas analysis, but the same portable device using whole blood showed notably poor correlation (concordance 0.668), with readings potentially differing clinically significantly from laboratory values. For equine practitioners—particularly when rapid glucose assessment influences decisions about dextrose supplementation or insulin therapy in critical cases—this finding has clear practical weight: if using a portable glucometer, ensure plasma separation before analysis, or rely on blood gas analysers for trustworthy results, as whole blood glucometry in emergency horses may mislead clinical judgement.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •If using point-of-care glucometry in emergency horses, use plasma samples rather than whole blood to ensure reliable glucose values that match laboratory standards
- •Blood gas analyzers provide accurate glucose measurements in critical cases and can be used reliably alongside laboratory confirmation
- •Be aware that whole blood POC glucometry may give misleadingly different results compared to laboratory values—this could affect treatment decisions in emergency situations
Key Findings
- •POC glucometry with plasma showed excellent agreement with laboratory standard (concordance 0.977), comparable to blood gas analysis
- •POC glucometry with whole blood had poor concordance with laboratory standard (0.668) and Pearson correlation, limiting its clinical reliability
- •Blood gas analyzer glucose measurement demonstrated excellent agreement with laboratory standard
- •Choice of sample type (whole blood vs plasma) for point-of-care testing significantly affects measurement accuracy and clinical decision-making