How to Use a Blood Glucose Meter Correctly

According to the American Diabetic Association (ADA), nearly 11.6% of the US population is diabetic. Many of these patients are advised to check their blood glucose levels on a daily basis to make sure that the reading is in the target range. To do so, doctors often recommend using blood glucose meters. But how to use a blood glucose meter? And how do they work?

In this article, let us answer the question of how to use a blood glucose meter in a step-by-step way. In addition, let us also learn about some of the best brands available in the market.

What are Blood Glucose Meters?

Blood glucose meters or, as they are called, glucometers are portable devices that are used to estimate the blood glucose level (BGL) of a person. Typically, blood glucose meters are used by diabetic patients to monitor their blood sugar levels throughout the day.

These are simple and easy-to-use devices that find vast applications in healthcare facilities and are also used within home settings for regular BGL measurement.

How to Use a Blood Glucose Meter?

While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, it is important to do it properly as this will increase the resulting efficacy. In this regard, the given steps should be followed to measure blood sugar levels:

Prepare the Essentials

Before learning how to use a blood glucose meter, the first step is to have everything that is necessary. This includes the following:

• Blood glucose meter
• Test strips
• Sterile lancets (needles)
• Lancing device
• Alcohol swab
• Dry swab
• Trash can
• Sharps container

Wash your Hands

When it comes to learning how to use a blood glucose meter, the first step is to understand the importance of hygiene. It is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly using soap and clean water (preferably warm) followed by drying with a clean towel.

If soap and water are not available, alcohol swabs can also be employed. Wait for a few minutes to allow the skin to become completely dry after using swabs.

Prepare the Lancet and Lancing Device

The next step in learning how to use a blood glucose meter is to prepare the lancing assembly. A lancet is a sterile, stainless steel needle that is inserted into a lancing device. This lancing device, a spring-loaded system is then used to prick the sides of the patient’s finger to collect a blood sample.

Prepare the Test Strip

Once the lancing device is ready, take a clean and unused test strip out of its container and insert it into the blood glucose meter. This should be done before pricking your finger so that the fresh blood sample can be loaded on the strip.

After taking one test strip out of its container or vial, make sure to close it properly to avoid contamination. Additionally, always check the expiry date on the test strips vial as expired items cannot produce reliable results.

Load the Blood Sample

Now, clean your finger (index, middle, or ring) or any other site selected for blood sampling using an alcohol swab. This will help clear the microbes from the skin. Wait until the area becomes completely dry.

Prick your finger with the lancing device. When the first drop of blood comes out of the capillary, wipe it off. Load the next drop on the test strip. This can be done by simply touching the drop with the end of the test strip. Put a dry swab on the puncture site.

Get the BGL Result

At this stage of learning how to use a blood glucose meter, your device will check the blood sample loaded on the test strip and display your blood sugar level within a few seconds. The duration between the sample loading and displaying of the results varies from device to device but usually remains below 10 seconds. Record this BGL value in your log book for future reference.

Discard the Used Lancet and Test Strip

Once the blood glucose value has been recorded, perform the following tasks:

• Take the used test strip out of the blood glucose meter and discard it into the trash can.
• Release the used lancet from the lancing device, put the cap on the needle, and discard it into the dedicated sharps container. Keep this container tightly closed and out of reach of children. Never use a glass container as it is prone to breakage.
• Wipe and store the glucose meter in the hard carrying case for future use.
• Wash your hands using soap and water.

Frequently Asked Questions

While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, patients often ask a lot of questions regarding the process. Therefore, the following section covers some of these queries:

1.      Who Needs a Blood Glucose Meter?

People who have any of the following conditions often require a blood glucose meter after consultation with their healthcare providers:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gestation diabetes (occurs during pregnancy)
• Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA)

2.      How Does the Blood Glucose Meter Estimate the BGL?

While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, patients often ask how the blood glucose meter checks and displays their BGL with high accuracy. The answer lies in a chemical reaction that occurs between the test strips and the blood sample.

The test strips contain an enzyme known as glucose oxidase and the blood sample contains glucose. As soon as the strips receive the blood sample, this enzyme reacts with the glucose. The reaction generates an electric current that is then detected and amplified by the glucose meter followed by displaying on the screen.

3.      Can I Reuse a Lancet?

No, lancets as well as test strips are single-use items that must be discarded after one application. These do not remain sterile after one use and, therefore, can become the cause of infections among diabetics. Moreover, the lancets become dull and make the finger pricking tough and painful.

Blood Glucose Meters at Health Supply 770: Features and Specifications

A regular blood sugar level estimation is important for patients with diabetes. This is done using a blood glucose meter or continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, it is important to have the right device that is accurate and easy to use.

Therefore, when it comes to learning how to use a blood glucose meter, it is also essential to look into some of the products that many brands manufacture. Some of these well-known brands are also available at Health Supply 770 and have been detailed below along with their features and purchase links:

Roche Accu-Chek® Guide Blood Glucose Meter

US$62.88 to $620.88

Product Details

Roche Accu-Chek® Guide blood glucose meters are the items that perform a quantitative analysis of the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, these systems prove to be an ideal choice due to their ease of usage and quick result display within 4 seconds.

Moreover, these Roche Accu-Chek® Guide blood glucose meters allow the patients to take fresh capillary blood samples from multiple areas including fingertips, palms, as well as upper arms. The system operates while using two 3-volt coin-cell batteries as its power source.

In addition, these Roche Accu-Chek® Guide blood glucose meters come with test strips that are packed in a spill-resistant SmartPack vial. This way, the product remains contaminant-free until the time of use. The insertion, as well as the ejection of the test strips from the glucose meter, is also quick and easy due to the single push button operation.

Furthermore, these Roche Accu-Chek® Guide blood glucose meters offer nighttime blood glucose level measurement as they have a clear, backlit display. This feature also assists BGL measurement among people with poor vision.

OneTouch Ultra Plus Flex Meter

US$47.88

Product Details

OneTouch Ultra Plus flex meters are one of the most accurate devices in their domain. These come with a seamless monitoring system that ensures the provision of reliable BGL results. The device is capable of analyzing each blood sample over 500 times to confirm the BGL value before displaying it.

Moreover, while learning how to use a blood glucose meter, it is important to choose a user-friendly system that suits even first-time users. In this regard, these OneTouch Ultra Plus flex meters are an ideal choice due to their simple design and user-friendly interface.

GUIDEME Accu-Chek Guide ME Meter Care Kit

US$22.88

Product Details

GUIDEME Accu-Chek Guide ME meter care kits are devices that are well-known due to their reliable and accurate blood glucose monitoring. The product comes with test strips that are packed in a spill-resistant SmartPack vial to keep them safe and contamination-free until the time of use.

Moreover, each GUIDEME Accu-Chek Guide ME meter care kit comes with several components that are necessary while learning how to use a blood glucose meter. These include an Accu-Chek Guide ME blood glucose meter, an Accu-Chek Softclix lancing device, 10 Softclix lancets, an instructions guide, as well as a hard shell carrying case.

Furthermore, the device is known to produce accurate results which can be visualized on the smartphone after installing the muSugr app. The system connects with the display device via Bluetooth.

GUIDEMTR Accu-Chek Guide Meter Kit Includes FastClix lancing Device with 6 Lancets (1 Drum)

US$47.88

Product Details

GUIDEMTR Accu-Chek Guide meter kits are employed for estimating the blood sugar levels of diabetic individuals. These come with the necessary components needed for the testing process including an Accu-Chek Guide blood glucose meter, a FastClix lancing device, and a drum containing 6 individually packed lancets.

While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, systems like these GUIDEMTR Accu-Chek Guide meter kits should be chosen which can display the BGL results within 4 seconds. Moreover, a spill-resistant test strip container keeps the items contamination-free until the time of use.

Furthermore, these GUIDEMTR Accu-Chek Guide meters offer smartphone connectivity to allow the results to be displayed on the screen.

Glucocard Shine Connex Blood Glucose Meter Kit

US$48.88

Product Details

Glucocard Shine Connex blood glucose meter kits are devices that have been designed to meet the standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The system is known for its accuracy as well as reliability. Each Glucocard Shine Connex blood glucose meter kit contains a Glucocard Shine Connex blood glucose meter, test strips, a lancing device, sterile lancets, as well as a carrying case to store all the components.

While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, devices like these Glucocard Shine Connex blood glucose meter kits should be given preference due to their exceptional features. These include a clear display screen that can be easily visualized by people with poor vision. The no-coding technology also renders the system easy to use.

*Note: The prices mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. These may vary over time.

The blood glucose meters mentioned in this article while learning how to use a blood glucose meter, along with many other medical supplies, can be purchased from Health Supply 770, a reliable name when it comes to medical products. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee and provide your products to you in the shortest possible time. Click the link at the end of the article to check the wide range of blood glucose meters.

Conclusion

Blood glucose meters are the devices that are used to estimate the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients. These are easy-to-use devices that can be operated by the patient or a caregiver without the help of a healthcare provider.

While learning how to use a blood glucose meter, it is important to follow the step-by-step instructions. This practice not only helps ensure the accuracy of the blood glucose readings but also reduces the risk of infections.

As blood glucose meters are a necessary item in healthcare facilities as well as home settings, these should be bought and kept in calibrated form to accommodate extensive use. For purchasing different types of blood glucose meters, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.

References

https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes