Background: Results from portable glucose meters should be reported as plasma values as recommended by IFCC. Three new "plasma calibrated" blood glucose meters (Abbott Precision Xcceed, Bayer Ascensia Contour and Roche Accu-Chek Aviva) were compared against laboratory venous plasma glucose measurements to determine their suitability for patient monitoring and diabetes diagnosis.
Methods: 115 capillary blood samples were analyzed on each of the three meters and compared to venous plasma measurements on the Dade Behring RXL analyzer (Hexokinase method).
Results: We found a significant positive bias of all meters compared to the laboratory reference method. Deviations of more than 10% were seen in more than a third of all glucose values in all three devices. 13%, 8.7% and 10.4%, respectively, of the values from the Abbott, Bayer and Roche devices fell in zone B or C of the Parkes' error grid.
Conclusions: Neither glucose meter met the ADA or the NACB goals and should therefore not be used as screening tests to diagnose diabetes but are well suitable for patient monitoring.