How to test blood sugar levels (2024)

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In many clinical situations, blood glucose monitoring must be performed regularly, accurately and safely. This helps diabetics control their glucose levels without having to visit the doctor's office or hospital, achieving blood sugar level stabilization on a wider scale.

In many cases it is preferable to have the test done at home, because this is cheaper, less invasive and safer.

The sides of the finger pads are the most commonly used locations for testing at home or near the patient (point-of-care). This location is ideal because the center of the finger pad contains abundant nerve supply, which can make the needle stick more painful.

Procedure

The best practice for finger sticks during blood glucose testing is as follows:

• Obtain consent
• Make sure the patient is seated and explain the procedure clearly
• Always wear gloves if you have to launch another
• Make sure hands are washed with soap and water and allowed to dry, or apply an alcohol-based disinfectant and let it sit for 30 seconds before touching your finger. Water can thin the blood or the chemicals in the test solution can dissolve prematurely, invalidating the result.
• If the fingers are dirty or covered with sugary material and there is no time for alcohol or water to dry, the finger is pricked and the first drop of blood is wiped away with clean gauze or tissue. There is no significant difference in the observed blood sugar level, regardless of whether the first or second drop is used for the measurement. However, the finger should not be squeezed as this can dilute the blood with fluid pushed from the surrounding extracellular space.
• A disposable lancet or needle should be used each time, and the dot should be against the fingerprint lines on the palm of the fingertip to one side or the other of the center. This helps avoid not only the nerves, but also the bone, which can be damaged in very thin or small patients.
• The middle or ring finger is preferred because it has the greatest tissue depth under the skin and therefore the least chance of injury.
• The thumb or index finger may be more prone to calluses or scarring, but can also be much more sensitive, making the procedure more painful.
• If the patient has previously undergone a mastectomy, it is preferable that she use the fingers of the hand contralateral to the removed breast.
• To avoid pain and dilution of the blood with extracellular fluid, punctures should not be made repeatedly in the same place.
• The fingers in which an intravenous infusion is administered should not be used because the results are likely to be incorrect.
• After drawing blood into the glucose test strip, gently press the spot with a clean gauze or tissue.
• Read the device and explain the measurement if necessary.
• Dispose of all equipment in accordance with safety policy.
• Recalibration of the device should be performed weekly.

Other sites for capillary blood collection for blood glucose monitoring are the heel (especially in newborns) and the earlobe. This method of blood collection requires only a small amount of blood and is much faster and easier than venipuncture, which is why it is now very popular. This is even more important in children because of the minimal amounts of blood required for testing, thus avoiding iatrogenic anemia.

Improperly gluing the finger pads can lead to inaccurate measurements and pain or damage to the finger.

How to test your blood sugar level

Very leaky

Heel puncture is used to collect capillary blood in newborns if venipuncture is excluded for some reason. It is painful and therefore the child should be with the mother whenever possible, breastfed or rocked, swaddled or given a pacifier to suckle, or even given fresh water. It is striking that local anesthesia or paracetamol does not relieve the pain of a heel prick during its execution.

Newborn Care Series: Take a heel blood sample

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5144528/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4322747/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4622200/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3262711/

Read further

• All glucose test contents

Written by

dr. lij thomas

Dr. Liji Thomas is a gynecologist who graduated in 2001 from Government Medical College, University of Calicut, Kerala. Liji worked as a full-time consultant in obstetrics/gynecology at a private hospital for a few years after graduating. . She has counseled hundreds of patients dealing with problems arising from pregnancy problems and infertility and has been responsible for more than 2,000 deliveries, always striving to achieve a normal birth rather than surgery.

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