Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia

Background: Efforts have been joined to set the parameters for the reliability of glucometers, yet once they are on the market, they are not further tested for the maintenance of accuracy, specificity, or precision. Methods: This comparative analytical study investigated the precision of commonly us...

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Main Authors: Shoug A. Al-Othman, Zahra H. Al-Zaidany, Shahad H. Al-Ghannam, Ahmed M. Al-Turki, Abdulrahman A. Al-Abdulazeem, Chittibabu Vatte, Alawi Habara, Amein K. Al-Ali, Mohammed F. Al-Awami
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3561
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author Shoug A. Al-Othman
Zahra H. Al-Zaidany
Shahad H. Al-Ghannam
Ahmed M. Al-Turki
Abdulrahman A. Al-Abdulazeem
Chittibabu Vatte
Alawi Habara
Amein K. Al-Ali
Mohammed F. Al-Awami
author_facet Shoug A. Al-Othman
Zahra H. Al-Zaidany
Shahad H. Al-Ghannam
Ahmed M. Al-Turki
Abdulrahman A. Al-Abdulazeem
Chittibabu Vatte
Alawi Habara
Amein K. Al-Ali
Mohammed F. Al-Awami
author_sort Shoug A. Al-Othman
collection DOAJ
description Background: Efforts have been joined to set the parameters for the reliability of glucometers, yet once they are on the market, they are not further tested for the maintenance of accuracy, specificity, or precision. Methods: This comparative analytical study investigated the precision of commonly used glucometers in Saudi Arabia, namely Accu-Chek Instant<sup>®</sup>, On-Call Sharp<sup>®</sup>, and ConTour<sup>®</sup>, as well as the effects of vitamin C, acetaminophen, and maltose on glucose readings. Ten milliliters of blood was drawn in lithium heparin from healthy volunteers (n = 9). Six samples were divided into two groups of three. One group was designed for normal glucose levels. The second group was designed for high glucose levels by adding a dextrose solution. The last three samples were designed for low glucose levels by leaving the sample for 24 h at room temperature and then following with centrifuge and plasma extraction. Results: This study showed that only Accu-Chek Instant met the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for precision across all dextrose concentrations, along with intra-class correlation values ranging from 0.95–1 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). By spiking the plasma samples with sub-therapeutic, therapeutic, and overdose concentrations of the metabolites, we found that vitamin C had a more evident interference on glucose readings compared to acetaminophen and maltose. Conclusions: The ascertainment of the precision of glucometers and the effects of interferences on them are vital in preventing the improper administration of insulin, which can lead to serious complications.
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spelling doaj-art-b306ff3ddbe948069737185062ae33a82025-08-20T02:22:59ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-06-012511356110.3390/s25113561Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi ArabiaShoug A. Al-Othman0Zahra H. Al-Zaidany1Shahad H. Al-Ghannam2Ahmed M. Al-Turki3Abdulrahman A. Al-Abdulazeem4Chittibabu Vatte5Alawi Habara6Amein K. Al-Ali7Mohammed F. Al-Awami8College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi ArabiaCavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UKBackground: Efforts have been joined to set the parameters for the reliability of glucometers, yet once they are on the market, they are not further tested for the maintenance of accuracy, specificity, or precision. Methods: This comparative analytical study investigated the precision of commonly used glucometers in Saudi Arabia, namely Accu-Chek Instant<sup>®</sup>, On-Call Sharp<sup>®</sup>, and ConTour<sup>®</sup>, as well as the effects of vitamin C, acetaminophen, and maltose on glucose readings. Ten milliliters of blood was drawn in lithium heparin from healthy volunteers (n = 9). Six samples were divided into two groups of three. One group was designed for normal glucose levels. The second group was designed for high glucose levels by adding a dextrose solution. The last three samples were designed for low glucose levels by leaving the sample for 24 h at room temperature and then following with centrifuge and plasma extraction. Results: This study showed that only Accu-Chek Instant met the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for precision across all dextrose concentrations, along with intra-class correlation values ranging from 0.95–1 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). By spiking the plasma samples with sub-therapeutic, therapeutic, and overdose concentrations of the metabolites, we found that vitamin C had a more evident interference on glucose readings compared to acetaminophen and maltose. Conclusions: The ascertainment of the precision of glucometers and the effects of interferences on them are vital in preventing the improper administration of insulin, which can lead to serious complications.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3561glucometerprecisionspecificityvitamin Cacetaminophenmaltose
spellingShingle Shoug A. Al-Othman
Zahra H. Al-Zaidany
Shahad H. Al-Ghannam
Ahmed M. Al-Turki
Abdulrahman A. Al-Abdulazeem
Chittibabu Vatte
Alawi Habara
Amein K. Al-Ali
Mohammed F. Al-Awami
Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia
Sensors
glucometer
precision
specificity
vitamin C
acetaminophen
maltose
title Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia
title_full Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia
title_fullStr Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia
title_full_unstemmed Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia
title_short Determination of the Precision of Glucometers Used in Saudi Arabia
title_sort determination of the precision of glucometers used in saudi arabia
topic glucometer
precision
specificity
vitamin C
acetaminophen
maltose
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3561
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