[Diabb]

Hi. Just read that most labs isolate blood plasma from samples to get a BG reading, unlike home meters that use whole blood.

As BG tends to get more concentrated in plasma, a plasma reading will be higher than if the whole blood had been analysed. Apparently a whole blood or home meter reading is to be multiplied by 1.15 to get the equivalent plasma reading.

But which is the one to rely on when you are comparing with normal levels?

For example, if less than 100 is normal for fasting levels and my reading on a home meter is 95, am I within the normal range? Or am I more than 100 because the plasma reading would have been 1.15 times 95 = 109.25? I am guessing the whole blood reading is the right one. Is that correct?

 

[Richard157]

Some meters detemine the whole blood count, and then convert to plasma, so the number that actually appears on the meter is a plasma number. If you read the material that comes with your meter, it should tell whether the display is whole blood, or plasma.

 

[Diabb]

......If you read the material that comes with your meter, it should tell whether the display is whole blood, or plasma.

Will do that. Thanks.

Do you know which reading, plasma or whole blood, is to be relied on? When people say normal is less than 100, does that mean 100 plasma?

 

[Richard157]

I think it means 100 by the meters we are currently using. Most meters do convert to plasma, so you can thing along those lines.