Blood Glucose Monitors
Blood glucose monitors are used by people who have been diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. This type of medical equipment tests the amount of glucose, or sugar, in the blood, which is extremely vital information to know in order to care for diabetes.
Blood glucose testing is done by piercing the skin just enough to draw blood. This is typically done on the finger. The blood is then applied to a test strip. The strip is then inserted into the machine and informs the patient of their blood glucose level. Then they can then act accordingly.
Monitoring is beneficial because it readily shows changes in the levels of glucose in the blood. The patient can then use this information to plan meals, decide what time is best to take medications, and plan activities. Many patients, especially those who use insulin, have to check their blood multiple times a day to check how effective their last dose of insulin was as well as planning their next dose. By testing several times a day, patients can act quickly to care for their high or low blood sugar.
Blood glucose meters are an electronic device that patients put test strips in after they have drawn a small amount of blood and placed it on the disposable strip. The strip interfaces with the meter, and the blood glucose level is shown on a digital display on the monitor.
Testing with the blood glucose meter only uses a small drop of blood, so the time and effort it takes to test is reduced. This means that more patients with diabetes will check their levels as often as they are supposed to.
There have been some recent advancements that make testing even easier. One of the advances is alternate site testing. This means that the patient can pierce the skin on the palm or the forearm to draw blood if their fingertips are sore. The disadvantage is that alternate sites usually have less blood flow than the fingertips. This can lead to an inaccurate reading.
No coding systems are another improvement in blood glucose monitoring. Patients used to have to code the strips into the meter and there was always a risk of the patient putting in the wrong code. This leads to inaccurate results. Many of the systems no longer require the patient to code the strips because they are either auto coded by the meter, or they have a single code.
There are multi test systems, which contain more than one test strip at a time, in a cartridge or a disc. This is much more convenient and makes for quicker testing because the patient doesn’t have to insert a single strip each time.
The final improvement is downloadable meters. The newer systems come with software that allows patients to download their results into a computer. This information can then be readily looked at and used to help doctors and patients to improve diabetes control. There are a few ways these blood glucose monitors work. Either they require a connection cable, they are designed to work wirelessly, or they plug directly into the computer.
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