Point-of-care capillary HbA1c measurement in the emergency department: a useful tool to detect unrecognized and uncontrolled diabetes

Inpatient hyperglycaemia and diabetes mellitus (DM) are common and are associated with an increased risk of complications and mortality. The severity of hyperglycaemia determines the rate of complications in patients treated in the emergency department (ED). Our aim was to examine whether determination of the capillary haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a reliable method for detecting unknown diabetes and poor glycaemic control in the ED.A prospective...