Abstract Objectives Hypoglycemia is a common metabolic problem in newborns, often asymptomatic but can lead to cognitive impairment and neuromotor delays. This study assesses the practicality and accuracy of whole blood capillary bedside glucose measurements using a point-of-care (POC) glucometer compared to serum glucose levels obtained via laboratory methods. The objective of this article was to evaluate the reliability of POC glucose levels in the NICU and compare them with central laboratory glucose measurements. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 108 newborns admitted to the NICU at the Health Science Center, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, between September 2022 and August 2024. Hypoglycemic POC glucose results from the Nova Stat Strip glucose meter were compared to confirmatory central laboratory serum glucose results produced on the Roche cobas c501 analyzer. Results A significant correlation was observed between serum glucose levels and glucometer readings, with a correlation coefficient of 0.825. Regression analyses showed a slope of 1.223 (Deming) and 1.200 (Passing-Bablok), with intercepts of −0.75 and −0.70, respectively. Conclusions Accurate blood glucose measurement is critical for early detection and management of neonatal hypoglycemia. Given the reliability of current glucometers and their close correlation to serum samples, this study questions the need for confirmatory serum samples in the presence of bedside hypoglycemic results.
Hamama et al. (2026) studied this question.