FDA warns against some glucose tests

[okarol]

FDA warns against some glucose tests
October 07 2009

Be sure your patients with diabetes are aware of a recent FDA advisory regarding the danger of using certain glucose meters or test strips when taking medications containing particular nonglucose sugars.

Advice for Patients: Serious Errors with Certain Blood Glucose Monitoring Test Strips (available at www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices /PatientAlerts/ucm177189.htm, accessed September 14, 2009) advises patients who are using drug products or therapies that contain maltose, galactose, or xylose never to use glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinoline quinone (GDH-PQQ) glucose test strips or meters. The dual usage can produce a falsely elevated glucose reading, possibly leading the person to take too much insulin.

Patients on dialysis and those who have had recent surgery may be more likely than others to be using such products or therapies and should employ a different type of glucose monitoring technology.

Products or therapies containing nonglucose sugars are listed in the FDA announcement. The type of glucose monitoring technology recommended may be printed on their instruction booklets or boxes. If not, advise the patient to consult a pharmacist or the manufacturer.

Remind your patients to alert you if their glucose readings do not reflect the way they feel.

http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/fda-warns-against-some-glucose-tests/article/151666/

[Chris]

Trouble is, insurance oly will pay for one meter and that brand of strips per year or every 2 years.So if one wants to keep using both as in ne for the car and one for home, it would get expencive. Some of the listings on the box may not be easy to understand either for some people and asking a doctor may not help if they don't know every single meter out there. Hopefully a diabetes educator would know and can advise a patient if they need help.

[Wallyz]

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices%20/PatientAlerts/ucm177189.htm#attachment

The following test strips (with associated meters) use GDH-PQQ methodology as of August 2009:
Roche Diagnostics:

   1. ACCU-CHEK Comfort Curve test strips, for use with:
          * ACCU-CHEK Inform meters [model 2001201]
          * ACCU-CHEK Complete meters [models 200 and 250]
          * ACCU-CHEK Advantage meters [models 888, 831, 850, and 768]
          * ACCU-CHEK Voicemate meters [model 0009221]
   2. ACCU-CHEK Aviva test strips, for use with:
          * ACCU-CHEK Aviva meters [models 525, 535, and 555]
   3. ACCU-CHEK Compact test strips, for use with:
          * ACCU-CHEK Compact meters [model GF]
          * ACCU-CHEK Compact Plus meters [models GP and GT]
   4. ACCU-CHEK Go test strips
          * ACCU-CHEK Go meters [model GJ]
   5. ACCU-CHEK Active test strips
          * ACCU-CHEK Active meters [models GG and GN]

Abbott Diabetes Care:

   1. Freestyle test strips, for use with:
          * FreeStyle meters
          * FreeStyle Flash meters
          * FreeStyle Freedom meters
   2. Freestyle Lite test strips, for use with:
          * FreeStyle Lite meters
          * FreeStyle Freedom Lite meters

Home Diagnostics:

   1. TRUEtest test strips
          * TRUEresult meters
          * TRUE2go meters

Smiths Medical:

   1. Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle test strips, for use with:
          * CoZmonitor blood glucose module (for use with the Deltec Cozmo Insulin Pump)

Insulet:

   1. Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle test strips, for use with:
          * OmniPod Insulin Management System

Just FYI

[Chris]

I saw that, but how many of the general public who are diabetics of any age range are going to look. I'm thinking the ones who ssign up forweb feeds from the ADA, r other sources of diabetic resources to keep their diabetes well under control as much as posible. I don't think the FDA takes that into consideration.