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Alternative Site for Collecting Blood for Glucose Determination in Cats
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A D VA N C E S
with various diseases were sampled for blood glucose and results compared with the ear as a sampling site.
Results Lancing the pads was tolerated very well. If the initial drop of blood was too small, an adequate volume of blood was almost always achieved by squeezing the pads. No significant differences were observed in first-attempt success rate or glucose values between the 2 sites. No measurement was possible in 4 cats due to the inability to obtain an adequate volume of blood or by patient struggling.
Author Conclusion The metacarpal pads may offer a viable alternative testing site for the measurement of blood glucose concentrations, especially if ear sampling fails.
ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR COLLECTING BLOOD FOR GLUCOSE DETERMINATION IN CATS
Inclusions
Background
Editor Annotation
Long-term management of diabetic cats may be improved by the measurement of blood glucose at home by the owner. Home monitoring is intended to reduce stress-induced hyperglycemia often associated with veterinary consultation and hospitalization. Blood glucose curves may enable assessment of insulin efficacy, the time of peak insulin effect, the duration of insulin effects, and fluctuations in blood glucose. Blood glucose testing is traditionally performed with hand-held glucometers using the marginal ear vein nick technique or the vacuum lancet method. However, 30% of willing cat owners may not able to perform glucose measurements. One of the most common reasons is for discontinuation of home monitoring is the inability to obtain an adequate blood volume. The metacarpal and metatarsal pads could be an alternative sampling site, since paw pads are accessible and have a good blood supply.
Objectives To investigate the clinical value and accuracy of metacarpal/tarsal pad blood glucose measurements as an alternative to sampling from the inner surface of the pinna.
Procedure The metacarpal/metatarsal pads in 75 cats
Three figures, 13 references.
At-home blood glucose monitoring is increasingly being used in the care of diabetic cats. Typically, the cat’s owner will perform testing using a peripheral blood sample and a portable glucometer. Previously published studies have demonstrated that owners can carry out successful monitoring using the ear vein to obtain the blood sample for testing. Anecdotally, veterinarians and owners have reported success with samples obtained from sites other than the ear, such as the paw pads. In this small study, Zuegswetter and colleagues aimed to determine the feasibility of obtaining blood samples for glucose testing from metacarpal and metatarsal pads of hospitalized cats (including diabetics). The study used a crossover design to compare ear and pad testing results. The investigators report that sampling from the pads was readily performed with a standard lancet and was well tolerated by cats. Individual cats that accepted ear sampling also tended to tolerate pad sampling. Sampling was not always successful on the first attempt, with means of 1.6 and 1.3 attempts/sample for ear and paw sites, respectively. Samples were not achieved between 4 to 9.3% of cases, usually because a blood drop of sufficient size was not obtained. Correlations between the ear and either pad site
A D VA N C E S
were very high, and mean differences between results obtained from each site were very low over a range of glucose concentrations from 2.39 to 27.03 mmol/L. Paw pad sampling provides an alternative to ear testing and yields comparable results. (TS) Zeugswetter FK, Rebuzzi L, Karlovits S, et al. Alternative sampling site for blood glucose testing in cats: giving the ears a rest. J Feline Med Surg 2010;12:710-713.
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A D VA N C E S
with various diseases were sampled for blood glucose and results compared with the ear as a sampling site.
Results Lancing the pads was tolerated very well. If the initial drop of blood was too small, an adequate volume of blood was almost always achieved by squeezing the pads. No significant differences were observed in first-attempt success rate or glucose values between the 2 sites. No measurement was possible in 4 cats due to the inability to obtain an adequate volume of blood or by patient struggling.
Author Conclusion The metacarpal pads may offer a viable alternative testing site for the measurement of blood glucose concentrations, especially if ear sampling fails.
ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR COLLECTING BLOOD FOR GLUCOSE DETERMINATION IN CATS
Inclusions
Background
Editor Annotation
Long-term management of diabetic cats may be improved by the measurement of blood glucose at home by the owner. Home monitoring is intended to reduce stress-induced hyperglycemia often associated with veterinary consultation and hospitalization. Blood glucose curves may enable assessment of insulin efficacy, the time of peak insulin effect, the duration of insulin effects, and fluctuations in blood glucose. Blood glucose testing is traditionally performed with hand-held glucometers using the marginal ear vein nick technique or the vacuum lancet method. However, 30% of willing cat owners may not able to perform glucose measurements. One of the most common reasons is for discontinuation of home monitoring is the inability to obtain an adequate blood volume. The metacarpal and metatarsal pads could be an alternative sampling site, since paw pads are accessible and have a good blood supply.
Objectives To investigate the clinical value and accuracy of metacarpal/tarsal pad blood glucose measurements as an alternative to sampling from the inner surface of the pinna.
Procedure The metacarpal/metatarsal pads in 75 cats
Three figures, 13 references.
At-home blood glucose monitoring is increasingly being used in the care of diabetic cats. Typically, the cat’s owner will perform testing using a peripheral blood sample and a portable glucometer. Previously published studies have demonstrated that owners can carry out successful monitoring using the ear vein to obtain the blood sample for testing. Anecdotally, veterinarians and owners have reported success with samples obtained from sites other than the ear, such as the paw pads. In this small study, Zuegswetter and colleagues aimed to determine the feasibility of obtaining blood samples for glucose testing from metacarpal and metatarsal pads of hospitalized cats (including diabetics). The study used a crossover design to compare ear and pad testing results. The investigators report that sampling from the pads was readily performed with a standard lancet and was well tolerated by cats. Individual cats that accepted ear sampling also tended to tolerate pad sampling. Sampling was not always successful on the first attempt, with means of 1.6 and 1.3 attempts/sample for ear and paw sites, respectively. Samples were not achieved between 4 to 9.3% of cases, usually because a blood drop of sufficient size was not obtained. Correlations between the ear and either pad site
A D VA N C E S
were very high, and mean differences between results obtained from each site were very low over a range of glucose concentrations from 2.39 to 27.03 mmol/L. Paw pad sampling provides an alternative to ear testing and yields comparable results. (TS) Zeugswetter FK, Rebuzzi L, Karlovits S, et al. Alternative sampling site for blood glucose testing in cats: giving the ears a rest. J Feline Med Surg 2010;12:710-713.
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