Determination of cerebrospinal fluid sugar by glucometer.

Early diagnosis and timely management of CNS infections has an implication on the prognosis and outcome. Thus bacterial meningitis should be dealt with as an emergency. Biochemical analysis of CSF plays an important role in the diagnosis of CNS infections 1 . Certain factors such as lack of laboratory facilities, time taken for the sample to reach the laboratory and the time consuming conventional laboratory methods may cause delay in specific treatment and cause unnecessary morbidity and mortality. These delays can be avoided by determination of CSF sugar in the emergency room while the child is being examined. The early estimation of CF sugar will be helpful in deciding whether or not to use antibiotics in patients, suspected to have bacterial meningitis 2 . The objective of this study was to determine the CSF sugar by Glucometer and compare the results with a conventional laboratory method.