Falsely elevated blood glucose level readings can lead to incorrect treatment and, subsequently, serious patient harm or death. Blood containing certain saccharides can falsely elevate the results obtained from point-of-care (POC) glucose meters using the glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinolinequinone (GDH-PQQ) enzyme/indicator test method. At-risk patients include peritoneal dialysis patients receiving dialysis solutions containing icodextrin, patients receiving certain types of immunoglobulin therapy, or patients receiving other drugs containing maltose, galactose, or xylose. GDH-PQQ meters cannot distinguish between maltose, galactose, or xylose contained in blood. Mitigation strategies to help facilities reduce or eliminate falsely elevated readings include educating staff and at-risk patients about the problem and becoming familiar with the enzymatic test methods used by POC glucose meters; labeling affected POC meters and contraindicating their use for patients receiving solutions containing icodextrin, maltose, galactose, or xylose; and instructing staff and at-risk patients to use POC meters not based on the GDH-PQQ method.
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