Author(s): Sreenivasa B, Kumar GV, Sreenivasa B
Alteration in blood glucose levels in newborns is difficult to detect clinically. Hence a reliable “point of care” device (glucometer) for early detection and treatment is needed. Hypoglycemia is historically one of the most common metabolic problems seen in both the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care unit. In neonates, there is not always an obvious correlation between blood glucose concentration and the classic clinical manifestations of hypoglycemia. The absence of symptoms does not indicate that glucose concentration is normal and has not fallen to less than optimal level (40 mg/dl) for maintaining brain metabolism. Present study was conducted on 500 newborns admitted to NICU. Blood glucose levels were measured simultaneously by using glucometer (Accu-chek advantage) and laboratory by using glucose oxidase method. There is a strong correlation between values obtained using both the methods with contingency coefficient- 0.7 and p value – 0.000. Accu-chek advantage glucometer had good correlation at glucose levels 40 to 145 mg/dl. Glucometer shouid be considered only as a screening method, not as a diagnostic test due to their questionable reliability in diagnosing neonatal hypoglycaemia. Although the accu-chek advantage glucometer had good sensitivity and negative predictive value in detecting hypoglycaemia, confirmation with laboratory measurements of plasma glucose and clinical assessment of the infant are still of the utmost importance.