Star Team

Yo. It's just 14 weeks to go to the end of SIP. 14 weeks! I will be describing the blood ketones tests here.

Blood Ketones Test

Blood ketones are tested using the Optium Xceed handheld meter. The basis for this meter is electrochemical. This is a very easy gadget to use. First, a new test strip is inserted into the strip-port. An ‘apply blood’ (it shows a blinking drop) icon will show. Then, apply 1 drop of blood onto the other end of the test strip. Wait for about 30 seconds and the results will be shown on the screen. However, it must be ensured that the blood samples are sent in lithuim heparin tubes (green cap). The heparin acts as an anticoagulant. Blood delivered in any other types of blood tubes are rejected. The reference range for this test is 0.0 – 0.6 mmol/L. Critical values (> 1.4 mmol/L) must be reported immediately to the appropriate personnel, so that action can be taken by the doctor to treat the patient.

Calibration is done for every new box of test strips by inserting a CODE key into the strip-port to check for the correct CODE number.

Controls are done only when there are requests for blood ketones, mainly because there are very few requests for blood ketones (about 1 a day). There are 2 levels of controls; one of a low value and the other high. Only 1 level of control is done when there is a blood ketone test, and the controls are tested alternatively (i.e. one day use control of high value, the next time use the control of low value).

Blood ketone testing is usually done on patients with diabetes. In diabetes, there is not enough insulin or insulin activity to help the muscles to absorb glucose from the blood. When there is not enough glucose, the body will burn fat for energy. Breakdown products, or ketones, are formed. Ketones are toxic to the body. Accumulation of these acids in the body may lead to ketosis. A more serious disease is known as ketoacidosis or DKA.

Why use blood and not urine for measurement?
There are 3 types of ketone bodies – acetone, acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate. β-hydroxybutyrate makes up 75% of all ketones in DKA. Therefore, it is more relevant to measure β-hydroxybutyrate in blood rather than urine ketone tests based on the nitroprusside reaction which detects acetoacetate instead. Urine ketone tests also give false positive results in the presence of some drugs and false negative results when the test strips are exposed to air for too long.

That's it for now.

Martin Ng (TG02)

0503312A

# posted by Star team @ 9:57 PM