Safe, stable, whole blood samples for quality assessment of glucose measurement by non-laboratory staff.

A whole blood control material has been used to assess the analytical performance of non-laboratory staff who use glucose meters in clinical areas. It is prepared from sterile horse blood which is readily available from a commercial source. There are no known infection or disease transmission risks to users. When the material is stabilized by the addition of sodium fluoride less than 3% loss of glucose over 48 h is observed from an initial value of 10 mmol/L. However, we prefer to stipulate that the glucose is measured on the day of receipt. The material has been used successfully with Reflolux IIM meters and B-M sticks (Boehringer Mannheim, UK) for over a year in our hospital.