You may still have a variation from the result because blood glucose levels can change sig- nificantly over short periods, especially if you have recently eaten, exercised, taken medication, or experienced stress.2 In addi- tion, if you have eaten recently, the blood glucose level from a fingerstick can be up to
3.9mmol/L (70 mg/dL) higher than blood drawn from a vein (venous sample) used for a lab test.3 Therefore, it is best to fast for eight hours before doing comparison tests. Factors such as the amount of red blood cells in the blood (a high or low Haematocrit) or the loss of body fluid (severe dehydration) may also cause a meter result to be different from a laboratory result.
Plasma/Serum: The PocketScan System is calibrated to plasma/serum, which allows you to compare directly PocketScan meter results with your lab results.
References
1.Clarke, W.L., et al.: Diabetes Care, Vol. 10, No. 5 (1987),
2.Surwit, R.S., and Feinglos, M.N.: Diabetes Forecast (1988), April,
3.Sacks, D.B.: “Carbohydrates.” Burtis, C.A., and Ashwood, E.R. (ed.), Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company (1994), 959.
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