Self Blood Glucose Monitoring
   

The goal of treating diabetes is to control it. This means keeping your blood glucose (BG) level near "normal". Now that you have diabetes, the automatic balancing of blood glucose doesn’t happen. Keeping blood glucose in balance requires effort from you.

To know your blood glucose value, you have to test it. To test, you have to prick your finger (or arm) to get a drop of blood and apply it to a test strip. The only reliable way to know your blood glucose is to check it. How you feel may not accurately reflect your current BG level.

Blood Glucose control is the single most important factor in reducing your health risk factors. Generally, targets for BG values are near 100 mg/dL pre-meal, and under 180 mg/dL 1-2 hours after meals. Discuss target blood glucose ranges with your doctor or diabetes educator.

The units "mg/dL" are used for blood glucose levels. If, for example, your blood glucose level is 100 mg/dL, this means that there are 100 mg of glucose per every deciliter - 100 milliliters, or about 3 ounces - of your blood.

Recording the results can help identify patterns and trends in your BG control. By reviewing these, your treatment plan can be tailored to help meet your BG targets.

When And How Often Should I Test?

The more often you test, the clearer the effect of your treatment plan. Some people test 2 - 6 times per week, while others test up to 10 times per day. The frequency of testing depends on how much information you need to determine how well your diabetes care plan is working.

Before meal testing is usually recommended first. When these are close to the target range, checking after meals would be the next step.

Even when your blood glucose is under good control, it's not likely that every blood glucose reading will be in your target range. Blood glucose levels normally change throughout the day. They tend to be highest 1 - 2 hours after eating. When diabetes is in good control, blood glucose returns to pre-meal levels ~ 3 hours after a meal.

Testing your blood glucose gives you important information. By testing regularly, writing down the results and discussing these with your doctor/diabetes educator, you can tell how well your diabetes treatment plan is working. Adjustments can be made in food, activity, and diabetes medicine to get your blood glucose in a safe range. By testing before and/or after meals and exercise, you can determine the success of each part of your treatment plan.

How to Check Your Blood Glucose:

  1. Get your supplies ready: Tissue or cotton, lancet & device, strips, and meter.
  2. Wash your hands with warm water and soap. Alcohol is not necessary. Regular use of alcohol will dry your skin and if not completely dry, it can effect your result.
  3. Choose a finger: "Milking" your finger from the palm of your hand to the tip will help the blood pool near the finger tip.
  4. Rotate puncture sites: Rotate fingers and stay away from spots you’ve recently used. The thumbs and any finger can be used for the poke. Stay to the outer sides or the ends of the finger tips.
  5. Puncture your finger. Take the lancet device with one hand, place the puncture end of the device on the selected finger of the other hand. Activate the device. You can vary the depth of the puncture. Hold the pricked finger tip with your hand facing down and milk your finger until a large enough drop of blood has formed.
  6. Apply the blood to the strip by the method specific for your meter. There may be other instructions for the lancet device or meter you use, so examine all the instructions that come with your supplies.
  7. Press tissue or cotton over the puncture site to stop the bleeding.

Blood Glucose Meters

There are many meters on the market. Look at the features each meter has, and choose one that meets your needs. A training video or audio-cassette tape is often provided by the manufacturer to help you learn how to use your meter. A diabetes educator can also teach you how.

Meters and strips use whole blood from the fingertips. They are set to read whole blood, or are adjusted values to read plasma glucose. Meters that convert the results to plasma will read ~12% higher than whole blood. You need to know if your meter reflects whole blood or plasma. If you are not sure, call the toll free customer service number on the back of your meter to find out.

Lancets - Reuse and Disposal

You may re-use your lancet for 24 hours. After a few uses, it will dull and can cause more pain. Use a new lancet any time you are uncertain that the tip is clean.

Your lancet is considered a “sharp” and must be disposed of in an approved container. These can be purchased at a pharmacy or contact your local disposal company for their specific biohazard policies. If you plan to take your lancets to the refuse site yourself, you can use a red, leakproof, puncture proof, plastic container labeled with the international "biohazard" symbol. Ask about a free disposal date.

Recording Your Blood Glucose Readings

  1. Record your results as soon as the test is done.
  2. Record the information in a format that is easy to evaluate.
  3. Take your records with you each time you see your doctor or diabetes educator.

Using the results is essential in the success of your treatment plan.  

OREGON LAW:  Household Medical Waste Disposal Requirements

Oregon enacted a law (HB2865) requiring that infectious wastes generated by individuals and institutions be stored, collected and disposed of separately from normal garbage. The law is designed to protect workers who handle infectious waste and the general public from the spread of infectious disease. Most of the infectious waste material generated by individuals with diabetes are syringes, needles and blood glucose monitoring supplies (lancets, used test strips, cotton balls or blotter pads contaminated with blood).

The law specifically pertains to “sharps”. Needles and lancets are to be placed in leak proof, rigid, puncture resistant, RED containers that can be securely closed to prevent loss of contents when disposed. This could be an empty RED plastic detergent bottle with a BIOHAZARD label applied. You must deliver these bottles yourself to one of the Lane County refuse transfer sites. Twice per year, Lane County offers free biohazard disposal days at their sites. If you live out of the Lane County contact your county solid waste disposal department for instructions.

Private garbage disposal companies will sell approved containers and dispose them. There is usually a collection fee and /or disposal fee separate from your monthly garbage service fee. Please contact your garbage disposal company for costs and details of pick-up. Also, many local pharmacies sell the red containers. Bio-Med of Oregon; 1-(800)-622-1378, is another option for disposal.

The law went into effect July 1, 1990. Individuals in violations of this are subject to civil penalties up to $500 per day.

 

 Back to Table of Contents

Next

Diabetes