Capillary and venous blood glucose concentrations measured during intravenous insulin and glucose infusion: a comparison of steady and dynamic states.

Background: Patients undergoing intensive insulin therapy may have blood glucose (BG) samples drawn from arterial, capillary, or venous sources. This study compared capillary and venous BG across a range of glucose concentrations and under conditions of rapid change in BG.

Methods: Following a 10-h fast, 40 adult patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes were connected to an automated glucose clamp device (Biostator, Miles Laboratories, Inc.

Palm glucose readings compared with fingertip readings under steady and dynamic glycemic conditions, using the OneTouch Ultra Blood Glucose Monitoring System.

Objectives: Past studies have suggested the absence of lag between palm glucose and fingertip glucose, even when glucose levels are changing rapidly. However, at any given time point, there may be differences between palm and fingertip glucose values because of glycemic instability and/or test methodology. The objectives of this study included assessing the variability in fingertip blood glucose test results between two fingers, and establishing whether the variability in blood glucose test results obtained from the palm was clinically equivalent to that observed in fingertip-to-fingertip comparisons.