• portable and convenient, yet inexpensive.

• short testing time (only 3 – 60 secs depending on different models).

• can be a life saver during an emergency.

However, a Blood Glucose Meter does come with the following disadvantages too,

• accuracy is a concern as it can be false positive to hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). Immediate measurement to hypoglycemia may seem higher than hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which makes it less useful.

• some models cannot perform test without light.

(Tips)

Certain newer models of Blood Glucose Meter like Optium Xceed by Abbott Diabetes Care, comes with back-light functions which comes in handy when you are in cinema, or if you not want to wake up your partner in the middle of the night.

As different brands and models of Blood Glucose Meter have their own features, you should hence check your own user manual or product manufacturer to find out more.

1. Measurement Range Of Different Meter Models

Most Blood Glucose Meters come with a broad range of measurement values from as low as 0 to as high as 600 mg/dL. However, as the range is different among models, you should interpret individual meters’ low and high values carefully.

2. Calibration For Meters

As time passes, your glucose readings might not be linear over the entire range. If you happen to come across very high or very low values which you suspect could be due to inaccuracy, you should perform a calibration for your meter. Kindly refer to your manufacturer’s user manual for instructions.

3. Cleaning And Maintenance

To clean and maintain a good meter, you should first check with your manufacturer on the correct method to do so. Refer to your manufacturer’s website if you are not able to contact them easily. Below are some general tips when it comes to cleaning a meter.

Dos:

• Clean your meter with only soap and water using dampened soft cloth.
• Clean your meter regularly to maintain its accuracy.

Don’ts:

• Avoid using glass or abrasive cleaners, cleansers with ammonia, or alcohols.
• Avoid damaging the sensitive parts of the meter.

If you have an important feature or useful tip on Blood Glucose Meter to share, kindly drop a comment below for us.

People should not use a Blood Glucose Meter for the purpose of comprehensive blood test eg. checking of full blood count or platelet count in your blood (haematology). Instead, you should visit your nearby medical clinic or hospital since they have the right facilities there.

(Tips)

It is recommended that all families with elders should keep a Blood Glucose Meter in their first-aid box at home regardless of whether they are ill or not, since it is affordable in cost and can be a life saver when there is an emergency.

Related Articles :

- What Are The Purpose Of A Blood Glucose Meter?

- How To Perform A Blood Glucose Test Using A Blood Glucose Meter?

There are some important facts which are worth mentioning for your knowledge before getting one.

1. In March 2001, FDA (U.S. Food Drug And Food Administration) has approved the use of GlucoWatch as a prescription device for adults with diabetes. See info.
2. In August 2002, FDA has approved the use of GlucoWatch for use by children and adolescents with diabetes. See info.
3. A new calibration of the device through the use of a finger-stick blood glucose test is required every 13 hours when a new skin pad is replaced to ensure accuracy of the meter results.
4. Individual GlucoWatch readings should not be used to determine and make changes to the insulin dosage. It is recommended that you should take several readings over time and confirm it with a finger stick blood glucose test.
5. Readings might be skipped when patients perspire especially during exercise or in an extremely hot humid environment.
6. Patients may develop rashes on the skin that come directly in contact with the watch. However, this may not apply to every patient as different people has different skin condition.

Overall, a GlucoWatch is a valuable tool you can add on to your list of Blood Glucose Meters.

Step By Step To Perform A Blood Glucose Test :

1. Prepare and get everything ready before you begin. Be sure that you know how to understand the meter’s reading.

• Blood Glucose Meter
• Disposable Test Strip
• Lancet Device And Disposable Lancet
  
• Cleaning Alcohol
• Drying Cloth

Important : Do not re-use any of the disposable items above for safety purposes.

2. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water and dry your hands completely.

3. Clean the fingertip affected area (the part which you are going to work on) with alcohol and dry it completely.

4. Prick the tip of your finger with a lancet device. Hold down your hand and hold your finger until you see a small drop of blood appears. Quickly catch the blood with the test strip.

5. Insert the test strip (the edge with the blood) into the meter and wait for the test result to appear (usually a beeping sound will be heard).

6. Record the test result.

7. Dispose away the used test strip and lancet.

It is important that you should read the user manual thoroughly that comes with the meter so that you know how to use it correctly. You should know how to read the meter’s reading and able to interpret any error code which might be displayed on it.

How often do you use your meter depends on the recommendation of your health care provider. Diabetes patients are strongly encouraged to use it more so that your blood glucose level can be monitored closely.

A Blood Glucose Test Strip is disposable and should only be used once. It is an essential component when coming to blood glucose testing. Without it, a glucose meter will be totally unusable. Hence it is always essential to ensure a continuous supply of non-expired test strips.

Where To Purchase And Price Range :

A typical Blood Glucose Meter usually come with 10 - 20 Test Strips (as bundled) for FREE. Test Strips can also be purchased separately in multiples of 50 or 100 with price varies, either online (shipping costs incurred) or directly from any medical store.

Important :

To ensure accurate measurement, it is strongly recommended that you should use glucose test strips that are recommended for the particular make and model of glucose meter you are using. Make sure you read the owners manual that comes with your meter for this.

More Information :

- In June 2008, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) reported that some patients were using LifeScan OneTouch Ultra test strips with Abbott Precision Xtra meters which resulted in false and misleading low glucose readings. Read more information here.

- A Blood Glucose Test Strip is not the same as Pregnancy Test Strip nor Urine Test Strip.

How It Works Actually?

Users simply inserts the test strip from the top of the meter. The meter will be automatically turned on and he or she will then be guided through the testing steps with voice prompts. Test results will be heard after 6 seconds with time and date as well as any memory or error code. The best part is, if any voice message is not heard properly at any step, the user can easily press a button to repeat the last message or test results again.

Another distinguished feature of this meter is the design of the buttons. Its tactile feature allows visually-impaired users to feel and locate the different buttons easily. Buttons also come with raised imprint to allow users to feel and identify them with ease.

Other Features :

• Lesser blood sample needed (0.6 micro-liter drop of blood) means finer gauge lancets to significantly reduce your pain which testing.
• Alternate site testing other than finger tips (eg. palms, forearms or upper arms etc).

Example :

Prodigy AutoCode Talking Flash Glucode Meter

How It Works?

• A tiny glucose sensing device (known as “sensor”) will be inserted either 45-degree or 90-degree under the skin of your abdomen to measure your glucose level in the tissue every 10 seconds.
• Result will be sent to a pager-sized device (known as “monitor”) which is usually attached to your belly. An average glucose value will be recorded every 5 mins.
• Calibration will take place at different times of the day eg. every 12 hours and you can also record other information like any insulin taken, meals or snacks consumed, or exercise done, into the monitor.
• After the monitoring period, the sensor will then be removed by your diabetes health care team and all information stored will be downloaded into the computer for analysis. Results can be presented in graphs or charts that can help to reveal patterns of glucose fluctuations. Necessary adjustments will then be made to your diabetes management plan if needed.

Price Range :

• Estimated cost of around $800 - $1400 for the transmitter, receiver, charger and casing.
• Estimated cost of $35 per 3-day sensor or $60 per 7-day sensor.

Note(s) :

This type of Blood Glucose Meter is not intended to replace standard blood glucose monitoring but more for capturing continuous results (eg. every 5 mins for up to 72 hours) to analyze for any trend in glucose levels and work out a more effective treatment plan for diabetes patients.

What Are The Purposes Of Glucose Meter?

1. Monitor Quality Of Insulin

Sometimes, your insulin might be long expired and you may not know or the expiry date wasn’t clearly indicated on the packaging. Hence if you are taking insulin regularly yet your blood glucose level seems to behave abnormally, it could be a problem with the insulin and you should either verify them with your health care provider and purchase new ones immediately.

2. Monitor And Adjust Your Insulin Dosage

You can check your blood glucose level many times a day and observe for any abnormality or consistent pattern over a period of time. Example, if your glucose level went too high on every morning consistently over the entire week, you may consult your health care provider if you should take extra or lesser insulin during the morning time to increase or lower your blood glucose and avoid health risk.

3. Understand The Effects Of The Food And Portion Choices

Certain glucose meters with food monitoring feature allow you to manage your glucose level before and after each meal and provide you with the average results over a period of time. You shall be able to understand the effects of your food and portion choices and decide whether you should avoid certain food choice or consume lesser portion where necessary.

You may like to consult your diabetes educator for more information on the purposes of a blood glucose meter too.

How It Works?

A GlucoWatch depend on a skin pad that adhere to the skin, and measure your blood glucose using electric current. When your blood glucose goes too high or low, an alarm will sound off.

Key Features :

• Readings can be generally taken up to 3 times an hour. Certain models of GlucoWatch can take as frequent as every 10 minutes.
  
• Skin-pad can be worn as long as 13 hours yet need to be changed periodically.
• Ideal for pregnant women who want to catch low blood glucose that occurs during the night.

Note(s) :

• A new calibration is required whenever a new skin-pad is replaced which should be every 12 hours.

Update :