Appraisal of a new rapid enzyme strip

The accuracy and reliability of new blood glucose measurement strips, BM Test-Glycemie 20-800, were assessed in 99 consecutive patients attending the diabetic clinic and seven subjects at home. The BM Test-Glycemie 20-800 strip technique was compared with the automated hexokinase method and the Reflotest-Glucose test strip technique employing the Boehringer Reflomat. The mean of the blood glucose values was 12.6 +/- 0.6 mmol/L for the hexokinase method and 12.9 +/- 0.6 mmol/L for the 20-800 strip technique, with a mean difference between the hexokinase and the 20-800 strip methods of 1.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/L. In the range 4 mmol/L to 12 mmol/L, the 20-800 strips were found to be extremely accurate, but for blood glucose levels less than 3.5 mmol/L and greater than 12 mmol/L, they were less reliable. Importantly, the strips were often misleading in indicating hypoglycaemia. It is concluded that the BM Test-Glycemie 20-800 strips have a practical and valuable role when used by suitably instructed staff members, or by patients in the management of diabetes, and represent a major advance over urine testing on previously available direct reading enzyme strip methods.