| | Category | CH | P02 | Are all Blood Glucose Meters Created Equal? |
| | Abstract | Blood-Glucose meters are commonly used in households all over the world |
| | to help monitor one’s blood-sugar levels. However, there are several |
| | factors that can have an influence on the measurements. In this |
| | experiment, the effect of certain factors on the accuracy and precision of |
| | three common blood-glucose meters, Free Style®, One Touch®, and |
| | Contour®, are tested. The three meters are selected based on a variation |
| | of the price range. The accuracy and precision of the measurements at a |
| | normal concentration of glucose in water, a high concentration of glucose |
| | in water, and testing the use of expired test strips. Also, each of the |
| | meters is used to measure the sugar level in blood samples. At a normal |
| | concentration, the Free Style® meter was found to be the most accurate, |
| | but all monitors showed a percent error in excess of 10%. At a high |
| | concentration of glucose, the Free Style® meter continued to be the most |
| | accurate. In all cases, the standard deviation as a measure of precision |
| | was relatively low. Using expired test strips gave varying results, with |
| | readings up to 354 mg/dL and extremely high standard deviations. The |
| | older the strips were, the worse the readings. When using blood samples, |
| | the Free Style® meter was the most precise, although all the meters |
| | showed relatively similar readings. In conclusion, the readings of blood- |
| | glucose meters may be affected by a number of factors. The Free Style® |
| | meter, appears to be the most accurate and precise in all conditions |
| | throughout the experiment. |
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