ESPE Abstracts

Background: Neonatal hypoglycaemia is an emergency condition requiring immediate treatment to prevent serious outcomes. Today blood glucose meter is a current methods for detecting blood glucose in health centre of our country.

Objective and hypotheses: To determine the accuracy of blood glucose meter in comparison to laboratory method in detecting neonatal hypoglycaemia.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of Al Zahra Hospital from September 2013 to March 2014. In infants who had risk factors of hypoglycemia blood glucose were tested with blood glucose meter (ACCU CHEK – Performa), if the blood glucose was under 60 mg/dl, simultaneously the venous blood glucose values were done on (Selectra2) auto analyzer by glucose oxidase method. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of glucometer were determined.

Results: A total of 200-paired samples were taken from 100 neonates. Hypoglycemia was detected in 65 cases (32.5%). Weak correlation was observed between result of glucometer and laboratory method (r=0.275). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy positive predictive value and a negative predictive value of glucometer were 45.45, 74.6, 65, 46.8, and 73.5% respectively in blood glucose <45 mg/dl.

Conclusion: According to the results obtained in this study glucometer has not sufficient diagnosis value to detect of neonatal hypoglycaemia. Blood glucose meter results should be confirmed with laboratory method.