Usefulness of single spot plasma glucose at a routine clinic: A preliminary report

While glycated haemoglobin remains the gold standard for assessing glycaemic control, the facilities for measuring it are not readily available in resource-poor health systems like that which exists in Nigeria. This study set out to determine the usefulness of fasting single spot plasma glucose at clinic visits in the management of diabetes. Fifty consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes attending the medical outpatient department at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, were recruited after informed written consent was obtained. HbA1c was measured using boronate affinity technique with a portable 'Primus' autoanalyser, NycoCard® Reader II, which was standardised to the DCCT. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was measured in mg/dl but converted to mmol/L. Anthropometric measurements were taken from the patients. The results showed that the mean HbA1c in the population was 7.4% and the mean FPG was 7.0mmol/L. There was a significant correlation between FPG and HbA1c, (p<0.0001, r2=0.749). We concluded that the significant correlation between the HbA1c and FPG in this patient population shows that the FPG remains a useful tool for assessing control at routine outpatient clinics and its continued use is recommended. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons.