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The Metering Lights Are On

Daniel Trecroci

Aug 1, 2002

Glucometer Line of Meters Gets a New Name

Starting next month, Bayer will change the name of its line of Glucometer blood-glucose meters to Ascensia.

Meaning "to ascend and achieve," the name Ascensia will be applied to the Glucometer DEX2 and the Glucometer Elite and Elite XL (to be renamed Ascensia DEX2, Ascensia Elite and Ascensia Elite XL).

To inform customers of the packaging and name changes, Bayer plans to include announcement cards in current packaging and other promotional literature. Healthcare practitioners are advised to mention the name changes to their patients who use Glucometer products.

For more information, call (800) 348-8100 or log on to the Web at www.ascensia.com.

Making Alternate-Site Label Information Easy to Read and Understand

When communicating necessary information pertaining to alternate-site blood-glucose testing, meter manufacturers should take into account the reading levels of users, researchers urge.

In a study presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, researchers attempted to "assess the ability of lay users to comprehend the indication for use of alternate-site testing, as described in the One Touch Ultra System labeling" (abstract 486-P).

Thirty-six people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, with an average age of 53, were recruited for the study. By administering a standardized reading test, researchers determined that 11 percent of the participants had a K through 8th-grade reading level, 25 percent had a 9th- through 11th-grade level and 25 percent read at a 12th-grade level or above.

The participants were asked to read a portion of the One Touch Ultra label entitled "Important Information About Arm Testing." They were then given a multiple-choice "labeling comprehension" questionnaire that focused on the following special testing situations:

Testing for hypoglycemia
Testing before a meal
Testing when blood-glucose levels are changing rapidly (that is, within two hours of an insulin dose, exercise or a meal).

Among participants with less than a 12th-grade reading level, the range of correct responses ranged from 69 to 100 percent.

Exposure of Test Strips May Lead to False Readings

In other research presented at the Scientific Sessions, South Carolina researchers suggest that prolonged exposure of strips used for blood-glucose testing may lead to false blood-glucose test results (abstract 1979-PO).

They arrived at this conclusion after a 49-year-old patient from their office showed a rise in blood glucose from 94 to 307 mg/dl in just a few weeks. Consultation revealed that the man had stored his Accu-Chek test strips in a zippered plastic bag outside the original storage canister.

To study the effects of exposed test strips on self-monitoring of blood glucose, the researchers used new and exposed Accu-Chek test strips to test the same blood sample. The results were as follows:

122 mg/dl when using a new strip
125 mg/dl when using a strip with one day of exposure
228 mg/dl when using a strip with seven days of exposure
321 mg/dl when using a strip with 14 days of exposure

The researchers conclude that exposure of test strips is "potentially harmful when used for [a diabetes] treatment guide."

Categories: Blood Glucose, Diabetes, Diabetes, Insulin, Low Blood Sugar, Meters, Type 2 Issues

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