Photo by V. Miller
Aug. 9, 2006
Glucometer Accuracy
Do Glucometers Bought in Stores Yield the Same Results as Glucometers Used in Hospitals?
Ruslan Werntz, 16, Coppell, Texas
TLC "Science of Production" Award, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2005
Project background: Ruslan visited the doctor with his father, who has type 1 diabetes. Ruslan's dad has to check the level of sugar in his blood regularly. He does this with a home-use glucometer. When the doctor tested Ruslan's dad's blood with the glucometer in his office, the result was 130. But just a few minutes earlier, when his dad used a home glucometer, the result was 160. For someone with diabetes, that's an important difference. The doctor said that home-use glucometers are not as accurate as the more expensive kind used by physicians. Ruslan wanted to confirm this.
Tactics and results: Ruslan bought two each of five brands of home-use glucometers. Over 48 hours, he tested the blood sugar levels of three people using both a store-bought glucometer and a doctor's glucometer. He compared the results.
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| Photo by V. Miller |
Results of 79 of the 120 home-kit tests differed from the results of the doctor's glucometer by at least 20 units. Ruslan advises people with diabetes to have their home-use glucometers checked regularly against the better-calibrated doctors' machines.
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