Handheld Meter Detects Diabetic Ketoacidosis

A handheld meter for routine home use enables parents of children with diabetes to test for both blood glucose levels and blood ketones, readily detecting elevated ketone levels.

Precision Xtra, a portable dual testing meter produced by Abbott Diabetes Care (Alameda, California, USA), provides a simple, two-step testing method that uses a very small blood sample for both blood glucose and blood ketone testing. It provides parents of children and people with type 1 diabetes with a simple solution to accurately monitor blood glucose and blood ketone levels anywhere. The meter includes a faster test strip, making frequent testing more convenient.

According to Dr. Lori Laffel, M.D., M.P.H., from Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA), and also associate professor and chief of the pediatric, adolescent, and young adult section of the Joslin Diabetes Center (Boston, MA, USA), children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes who tested blood ketones during sick days with Precision Xtra tested more often, had a significantly lower incidence of emergency room visits and hospitalization than those who tested for ketones using the traditional urine method. The American Diabetes Association recommends blood ketone testing over urine ketone testing as a more reliable method of diagnosing and monitoring diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Commonly known as diabetic coma, DKA is the result of severe insulin deficiency and high blood ketones. DKA is a life-threatening condition and is the leading cause of mortality among children with diabetes. Frequent testing for ketones during times of illness, when the risk of ketone development is notably higher, is necessary to detect and prevent DKA in children with type 1 diabetes, who produce little or no insulin.

Abbott Diabetes Care develops, manufactures, and markets glucose monitoring systems designed to help patients manage diabetes. Its monitoring systems, which can be used either at home or in hospital settings, include FreeStyle, FreeStyle Flash, FreeStyle Freedom, and Precision Xtra.



Related Links:
Abbott Diabetes Care
Harvard Medical School
Joslin Diabetes Center