A glucose meter accuracy and precision comparison: The FreeStyle flash versus the Accu-Chek advantage, Accu-Chek Compact Plus, Ascensia Contour, and the BD Logic

Background: This study compared the accuracy and precision of five blood glucose (BG) meters. Methods: Diabetes patients undergoing venipuncture for glucose testing were randomized to one of two groups consisting of three meters: FreeStyle (R) Flash (Abbott Diabetes Care, Alameda, CA), Accu-Chek (R) Advantage (Roche Diagnostics Corp., Indianapolis, IN), and Accu-Chek Compact Plus (Roche Diagnostics) or FreeStyle Flash, Ascensia (R) Contour (R) (Bayer Healthcare, Diagnostic Division, Tarrytown, NY), and BD Logic (R) (BD Diabetes Care, Franklin Lake, NJ). Within 5 min following venipuncture, duplicate finger BG measurements from three ipsilateral fingers were taken. Finger glucose measurements were compared with laboratory reference values. Accuracy was assessed by a Clarke error grid analysis (EGA) and within 10% of the laboratory value criteria. Meter precision was determined by calculating the absolute mean differences in glucose values between duplicate samples. Results: Finger sticks were obtained from 202 patients. Mean venipuncture BG was 148 mg/dL (SD +/- mg/64 dL; range 25-439 mg/dL). Accuracy by Clarke EGA (Zone A results) was demonstrated in 69% of Advantage samples, 75% of Compact Plus, and 96% of the first group of Flash versus 88% of the Contour, 67% of the Logic, and 91% of the second Flash samples (P < 0.05 for both Flash and Contour). Meter accuracy using the 10% criteria was demonstrated in 30%, 38%, 70%, 46%, 48%, and 68% of the samples, respectively (P < 0.05 for both Flash groups compared to each of the other meters). There were no differences in meter precision. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences in accuracy were evident using the Clarke EGA criteria (pooled results of Zone A and B), though the more strict 20% accuracy criteria (Zone A results only) found the Flash and Contour to have significantly greater accuracy compared to the Advantage, Compact Plus, and the Logic. Using the 10% accuracy criteria found the Flash to have significantly greater accuracy than each of the other four meters. All five meters demonstrated similar precision.