Evaluation of a flash glucose monitoring system in dogs with diabetic ketoacidosis.

The flash glucose monitoring system (FGMS) Freestyle Libre provides estimates of blood glucose by constantly measuring the glucose concentration of the interstitial fluid through a sensor inserted in the subcutaneous space. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability and accuracy of the FGMS in dogs with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Seven dogs with DKA examined at the Veterinary Hospital of the State University of Londrina were included in this study. The sensor was placed on the dorsal cervical region, shortly after the diagnosis of DKA was confirmed and maintained for 5 d. The measurement of blood glucose was performed simultaneously with the veterinary portable blood glucose meter (PBGM) AlphaTRAK 2 every 2 to 4 h and with the hexokinase method every 12 h. The PBGM's precision was evaluated following the ISO15197:2013 criteria. Blood glucose estimates were strongly associated (r = 0.89; P < 0.0001), and the mean absolute relative difference in relation to the PBGM was 25.2% (-70.4% to 101.9%). The evaluation of these data using the consensus error grid analysis showed that 95.4% and 94.8% of the samples were in Zones A and B (clinically acceptable) using the PBGM and the hexokinase method as a reference, respectively. The ISO15197:2013 criteria were not met. There was no difference in the accuracy of the device among days (P = 0.74); however, there was a difference between the hydration status (P = 0.019) and blood glucose ranges (hypoglycemic, euglycemic, and hyperglycemic; P < 0.0001), in which it was less precise in measuring the blood glucose range in hypoglycemic dogs. Therefore, it can be concluded that in spite of the fact that the device did not meet the ISO 15197:2013 criteria, the FGMS evaluated presents good clinical precision and can be a valuable tool in treating dogs with diabetic DKA.