BGs in France?

[Cate]

Hi all,

Does anyone know what units they measure BGs by in France?

My mum lives in France and has just had a full medical following a seizure she had a couple of weeks ago. Her BG reading was 12 (ish, not sure exactly). She queried this and was told it was "normal". Is it?

It's also highlighted a thyroid problem which she's having further tests for, in case that might have any bearing on things. Otherwise, a CAT scan was normal and she's waiting on an MRI next month.

TIA.

 

[Robster65]

Hi Cate

It will either be mmol/L as we use, or mg/dl as the US uses.

mg/dl normal range starts at about 65, so they must use the same as us.

The normal range in mmol/L is usually quoted as about 4-7 but this does seem to vary. I've been told several times that BG can go up into double figures but shouldn't stay there for long.

After a seizure, her body may be in a stressed state (a bit like us getting injured ?) so maybe the hormones pushed her BG up temporarily.

Hope that helps a bit.🙂

Rob

ps. found this wiki article which states about elevated BGs...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_sugar

 

[HelenM]

They write the measurement in g/l, only place I know that does. Meters are actually in mg/dl so you have to put in the decimal point when you write it down.
Perhaps it was 1.2g/l which is 120 mg/dl ie 6.6mmol
As you can see from this conversion chart, 12g/l would be stratospheric!

http://www.diabsurf.com/Sim/SimImp/Itypcvr.php

It just occurred to me that lab results are sometimesrecorded in both mmol/l and g/l . I just dug out my only fasting glucose (almost seven years ago) and this was indeed recorded in both mmol/l and g/l. That means it is possible that it was 12mmol/l
Sorry that just makes it more confusing!

 

[Robster65]

They write the measurement in g/l,, only place I know that does . Meters are actually in mg/dl so you have to put in the decimal point when you write it down.
Perhaps it was 1.2g/l which is 120 mg/dl ie 6.6mmol
As you can see from this conversion chart, 12g/l would be stratospheric!

http://www.diabsurf.com/Sim/SimImp/Itypcvr.php

😱 Sacre Bleu !

Gotta love the French for their individualism.

Rob

 

[Cate]

They write the measurement in g/l, only place I know that does. Meters are actually in mg/dl so you have to put in the decimal point when you write it down.
Perhaps it was 1.2g/l which is 120 mg/dl ie 6.6mmol
As you can see from this conversion chart, 12g/l would be stratospheric!

http://www.diabsurf.com/Sim/SimImp/Itypcvr.php

It just occurred to me that lab results are sometimesrecorded in both mmol/l and g/l . I just dug out my only fasting glucose (almost seven years ago) and this was indeed recorded in both mmol/l and g/l. That means it is possible that it was 12mmol/l
Sorry that just makes it more confusing!

LOL thanks Helen, might have known the French did things differently!

I'll report back to mum and see whether it might have been 1.2 or whether it really was 12. This would have been from a fasting blood test,so from what you say was probably recorded both ways.

Rob - thanks for trying! I read the Wiki article, which was interesting anyway...

Gah, it's never simple is it? 🙄

 

[Copepod]

Just shows how important it is to record not just the number (with decimal point, which is sometimes a comma, in the right place!) but also the units, especially when dealing with different countries's systems.

French individualism is particularly odd, given its fundamental role in defining metric and SI units! Although there are still some pre-revolution units in use, I believe, such a league and king's foot (English translations, obviously, but I'd have to look up the French spellings).

 

[HelenM]

Just shows how important it is to record not just the number (with decimal point, which is sometimes a comma, in the right place!) but also the units, especially when dealing with different countries's systems.

French individualism is particularly odd, given its fundamental role in defining metric and SI units! Although there are still some pre-revolution units in use, I believe, such a league and king's foot (English translations, obviously, but I'd have to look up the French spellings).

Blood pressure readings here can also cause a bit of confusion. They are measured in the same units as elsewhere but in speech or doctors notes are rounded up or down and then contracted.
If my BP read 119/81 mmHg my doctor would say it was douze/huit (12/8)
(you can guess why if you try to say in French)