Conference abstract
Effects of hydroquinone-containing creams on capillary glucose measurements before and after serial hand washings
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2017:2(48).25
Sep 2017.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2017.2.48.93
Archived on: 25 Sep 2017
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Hydroquinone, containing creams, capillary glucose measurements
Oral presentation
Effects of hydroquinone-containing creams on capillary glucose measurements before and after serial hand washings
Tembi Efie1,&, Andre Pascal Kengne2, Francois Kaze Folefack3, Yannick Mboue-Djieka2, Simeon Pierre Choukem1
1Banso Baptist Hospital Health and Human Development Research Group, kumbo, Cameroon, 2Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon, 3Health and Human development research group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Tembi Efie, Banso Baptist Hospital Health and Human Development Research
Group, kumbo, Cameroon
Introduction: hydroquinone-containing skin lightening creams cause false increase in capillary glycaemia. As a means of preventing false results, patients usually have their fingers swabbed with water soaked gauze or apply hand sanitizers before measurement. The objective was to determine the effect of hydroquinone-containing creams on capillary glucose measurement in terms of technical and clinical impact and the number of hand washings needed to prevent these effects.
Methods: we included 91 consenting diabetic and non-diabetic participants in a quasi-experimental study in Buea. Two glucometers with different enzymatic principles (Accu-Check®active and OneTouch®ultra2), were used to measure fasting glycaemia after hand washing (reference), calibrated cream application, finger swabbing, sanitizer application and a series of 3 hand washing following cream application.
Results: the mean difference in capillary glycaemia between the reference value and the values after the various interventions measured using Accu-Check®active were -28, -27, -38, -16, -4 and 2 respectively after cream application, finger swabbing, sanitizer application and three series of hand washings. Corresponding values measured using OneTouch®Ultra2 in mg/dl were -41, -44, -64, -22, -5 and 5. The mean cream-attributed glucose increment was 28mg/dl for Accu-Check®active and 41 mg/dl for OneTouch®ultra2. After cream application, Accu-Check®active had 9.9% of values in Parke’s Zones C-E, while OneTouch®ultra2 had 18.7%.
Conclusion: hydroquinone containing creams cause a significant false increase in capillary glycaemia irrespective of the enzymatic principle of the glucometer used, leading to 10 to 19% potentially wrong clinical decisions. Finger swabbing with wet gauze or application of hand sanitizers are insufficient in reversing the effect of these creams. A minimum of two hand washing is required prior to capillary glucose measurement.
