[Home self-monitoring of blood glucose with a new reflectance photometer].

The accuracy of a new reflectance photometer, RapidGluco Italamec, intended for home blood glucose monitoring was compared with that of two other reflectometers, Glucocheck Medistron and Glucometer Ames, all using Dextrostix strips, and a routine laboratory method (Glucose Analyzer Beckman). Venous blood sugar values from 300 randomly selected patients attending our Clinic, obtained with each of the reflectometers (RapidGluco, Glucocheck, Glucometer), correlated significantly with those obtained with the Glucose Analyzer (r = 0.95, 0.99, 0.90; y = 1.06x + 3.29; y = 1.04x + 0.26; y = 0.87x + 34.8). The reflectometer - Dextrostix system proved accurate and convenient for practical purposes with all three instruments. Attention may be drawn to the lower cost of the RapidGluco. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the reliability of the system when used by patients themselves, the advantages of reflectometers over visual readings of the strips, and their improvement of diabetic control.