Photo Credit: Atiwat Witthayanurut
The following is a summary of “Glucose Testing Methods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Devices for Neonatal Hypoglycemia,” published in the December 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Clair et al.
Neonatal hypoglycemia is a common condition in newborns that demands accurate blood glucose measurement for timely diagnosis and management. Point-of-care devices propose a potential solution for monitoring blood glucose levels in these infants.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care devices for measuring blood glucose in newborns at risk of hypoglycemia.
They included studies comparing point-of-care testing methods to standard laboratory methods for measuring blood glucose levels in newborns. Glucose oxidase (GO) + photometry (n = 8), glucose-1-dehydrogenase (GDH) + photometry (n = 6), GO + electrochemistry (n = 13), GDH + electrochemistry (n = 12), and hexokinase (HK) + electrochemistry (n = 2) was evaluated. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated using hierarchical random-effects modeling.
The results showed that all methods demonstrated high specificity (≥93%). GO + electrochemistry, GDH + electrochemistry, and HK + electrochemistry exhibited superior sensitivity. The summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve confirmed HK + electrochemistry as the most accurate method for measuring blood glucose in newborns at risk of hypoglycemia.
They concluded that HK + electrochemistry demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy, although additional research is needed to confirm these findings across diverse populations and healthcare settings.
Source: jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(24)00541-9/fulltext
