Assessment of a new visual blood glucose strip.

A new double-tipped strip for home glucose monitoring without a meter is described. Comparison between values obtained with the new method by trained nursing staff and those obtained with a glucose-oxidase analyzer demonstrates close correlation between the two methods (r = +0.95, a = +22.2 mg/dl, b = +1.14). The mean concentration in 117 strip tests over an analyzer range of 5-775 mg/dl (0.3-43.0 mmol/L) was 52 mg/dl (2.9 mmol/L) greater than the analyzer estimate. Forty-seven percent of samples were read as the color block closest to the analyzer estimate. Samples in the lower glucose range tended to read one block high. The technique is faster to perform than most other visual blood glucose strip methods, and is a useful addition to the equipment available for home glucose monitoring. Modifications to the strip by the manufacturers appear to have overcome the low value over-reading error.