Blood Glucose Monitoring

The material contained in this video presentation provides general information on the management of diabetes. This information is for reference purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. For specific information and recommendations based on your health condition, please consult your medical provider. 

Hello, I'm Annette McClenaghan, a registered nurse and certified Diabetes Care and education specialist here with Lee Health, to talk about blood glucose monitoring. Blood glucose monitoring is a tool that allows you to measure the amount of glucose or sugar in your blood. Why check your blood glucose? It helps you stay in control. It helps you recognize blood glucose patterns and it helps you make changes in habits or treatments to improve those patterns. 

Testing is really a tool for you choosing a blood glucose monitor. There are many blood glucose meters to choose from. Some considerations might be, is it covered by my health insurance? Are there more affordable? Over the counter option? You can check with your pharmacy. Every pharmacy has an over the counter meter available and you can find out what their pricing options are by speaking with them. 

Are the test strips affordable? Without insurance coverage, it can be a dollar to a dollar 50 per test strip. Is the meter easy to use? Can the results be uploaded to a computer or an app? Are there any savings or discount programs by the manufacturer that I could use? These are all things to think about when choosing a blood glucose monitor. How often should I check? There's no absolute schedule for everyone. Many factors can impact your monitoring schedule. 

You can discuss your options with your healthcare team or some common times to check if you're new to diabetes or you're not on any medication. You might test once a day, first thing in the morning, occasionally alternating and doing a test later in the day. If you're on more than one medication or a medication that has a side effect of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, you might be testing twice a day in the morning and in the evening. If you're on insulin therapy, you might be testing before meals and at bedtime. If you've been started on a new medication that targets blood sugar spikes after the meal, you might be testing before your biggest meal of the day and two hours after that meal. You might increase that testing. 

When you're having changes in your health, you're adjusting your medications for your diabetes when you have illness stress or if you're making changes to your diet or exercise regimen. Sometimes we increase that testing when we're on more insulin injections, blood glucose target range. Many factors can affect your target glucose ranges. It's always a good idea to discuss options for when to test and what the target glucose levels should be with your healthcare provider as these can be individualized. 

Target glucose and A1C levels for people with diabetes, blood glucose targets before meals are 80 to 1 32 hours after the first bite of a meal. The target is less than 180 for people with diabetes and the A1C target for people with diabetes is less than 7%. These are the American Diabetes Association's standards of care supply is needed. 

You'll need your blood glucose meter. A new test strip your Lansing device, a new lancet, which is the needle, alcohol swabs and a sharps container blood glucose monitoring before preparing to test your blood glucose. Wash your hands with soap and water preparing the Lansing device. The Lansing device is that spring-loaded pen that you put the needle in. They're similar with different machines, but have some differences in how to use. You'll want to follow the manufacturer's instructions to prepare the Lansing device correctly. The device that we use for this demonstration may differ from your device. 

Typically, we start by removing the Lansing device end cap. Insert a new lancet or needle into the device and remove the protective cover from the needle by twisting it in a circular motion until you can remove it. Avoid bending as you do not want to bend the needle. Once you have exposed the needle, replace the Lansing device end cap. Set the depth on your Lansing device to the desired level. Most commonly, we start out at level two for many adults and you may have to adjust that based on whether or not you obtain blood. Set the spring-loaded arm barrel on the device for use. Insert the test strip into the meter port. 

Now that your Lansing device is ready and prepared, remove the test strip from the vial with clean dry hands. Immediately close the lid of the vial to protect strips from moisture and light. With the meter off, simply insert the new test strip into the test port per instructions. The meter will then turn on automatically. Wait until the meter is ready, as noted by the flashing drop of blood on the screen. 

Fingerstick location. Place the prepared Lansing device on the side of the fingertip. Avoid poking the center of the fingertip or the padded area where you touch things. That area is more sensitive. Apply gentle pressure and activate the Lansing device by pressing on the trigger button. Allow a drop of blood to form. Gentle pressure may be applied to the fingertip to obtain the sample of blood. If necessary, apply the blood to the test strip, touch the drop of blood to the test strip window and allow to completely fill with blood before pulling away. The meter may provide a visual or audio indication to remove your finger. After enough blood has been applied to the test strip in a few seconds, your blood glucose result will be displayed