Blood glucose meters quality assurance
Common Questions and Answers about Blood glucose meters quality assurance
blood-glucose
my husband was 2yrs post liver transplant, that is the one reason why he is also now suffering from monitor blood sugar problem. my question now is about fluctition of his blood glucose, we have a kit monitoring it before and after meal, but there was time when we check it is high then after just a minute it drop down, we are really worried why is this happening? hoping that anyone could help!
A good way to see if yours is within normal variance is to bring along your meter when you go for a blood draw (from a vein). Within 5-10 minutes of them drawing blood, do your own blood test and save the results. Compare them with what the doc tells you your number was. Your result should be within 15% of the doc's result.
What's important here is to know how you feel & how you function when your BG is at different numbers.
Before leaving her doctors office your mother should have gotten a wealth of printed information on how to control and manage her diabetes. A list of recommended home glucose test meters should have been part of that package.
I know that there are some meters that use tinier drops of blood than others, and also that people can use sites other than fingertips with some meters (usually the ones that don't require a large blood drop). I have read, however, that sites other than fingertips can be less accurate. As to how different the glucose reading would be, it probably depends on the meter and perhaps on the size of blood drop.
Home glucose checking is designed to only give a ballpark snapshot of what our blood glucose is at that moment of time. Blood flow through the body is dynamic and the chemistry, including glucose, at any given point will very from one moment to the next. That said unless you took a blood sample and tested it many times (not taking a new sample for each test, thus a different blood chemistry) the variance in readings you recorded are normal.
Blood sugar peaks 2-4 hours postprandial, not 6 hours. Go to the web site Wave posted in his thread so you don't mistake what is correct. Cheap meters may not produce accurate results every time. If you value your health invest in a good quality meter. Consumer Reports listed Johnson & Johnson LifeScan Ultra meters as the most reliable. Search around, J&J offered free meters last year.
s interesting that you question the accuracy of your glucose meter for I was reading the September 2008 issues of Consumer Reports that rated both blood-pressure monitors and blood-glucose meters. Only one blood-glucose meter scored excellent overall and also scored the highest for consistency- the Johnson & Johnson Lifescan OneTouch Ultra Mini. The Ultra Mini was followed by Ascensia Contour, ReliOn Ultima (WalMart), and Accu-check Compact Plus.
In your first thread I mentioned that the FDA set manufacturing guidelines for home glucose meters at ± [plus/minus] 20%. This means your 70 mg/dl reading could be 70 mg/dl or it could be as low as 56 mg/dl or as high as 84 mg/dl. Home meters give an approximation not a true reading of glucose levels. Since your 100 mg/dl reading two minutes later falls out of this range, the questions remaining are:
1. How old is your father's meter?
2. Do the test strips have an expiration date?
3.
That would be considered AFTER a meal, or postprandial, as WR stated. I think you're getting hung up on the fact that 2-3 hours AFTER one meal may be BEFORE the next meal. Only concentrate on one meal at a time.
How often are you checking your blood sugar at home? Be sure to closely follow the instructions of your doc, don't just choose your own times. Also, be sure to keep a journal of your results. Most glucose meters come with a log book.
t tell a doctor what is going with your glucose levels at all times of the day. Home glucose meters are good to see how well one is managing their glucose levels. Having scaled results (high to low, or normal to near high or above) calls for an A1c test to see the entire picture.
An A1c test measures your glucose going back three months. Why three months? On the average, new red blood cells live three months before dieing off and getting turned into Bilirubin.
And, 2-3 hours after eating [postprandial] when glucose [blood sugar] is at its highest point. The first is to get a baseline to work off, the second to see what foods you consumed does to your glucose level and what you can and should not eat.
"where do I need to be using his # "
Huh? Are you asking what numbers are considered normal ranges? These are:
prandial = 70-99 mg/dl or 3.8-5.5 mmol/l
postprandial = <180 mg/dl in most cases
<10.
Did some looking around on the Internet and could not find an answer so my question is are there any risks getting HIV from using blood glucose supplies considering there is blood involved. If a person with HIV accidentally gets his/her blood on the meter or the test strips (supplies) is it possible to catch HIV this way when putting your blood in contact with the test strips (supplies)? Hope this makes sense but I just would like assurance. Thank you!
Yes, there is a difference. The glucose meter measures blood sugar at that exact moment. The A1C, on the other hand, gives an average of blood sugars for about 2-3 months period. The A1C therefore, gives a lot more significant information but it can also be misleading. For example of someone has a lot of highs, but also a lot of lows, it might average out and look like the person is maintaining a good blood glucose level when they are, in fact, swinging wildly.
Nine years ago I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with my second pregnancy. However, my 2-hour glucose testing numbers were borderline. I tested my blood 4 times per day and never once had an abnormal or even remotely high result the rest of my pregnancy. With my 3rd pregnancy I was not diagnosed with gestational diabetes. That was 4 years ago. Diabetes does not run in my family. No one in my family has it.
I was a little concerned when I started smelling the sweet fruity smell again on my breath. I immediately went to the pharmacy and bought a blood glucose test. I tested myself at 9:15PM and it read 81mg. I wasn't satisfied because I read on the web that it is a sympton of untreated diabetes. I tested again and it read 86mg. I felt a little better. I woke up the next morning and tested again and it read 88mg. For what I read, these readings are normal.
My doctor ordered blood work, my glucose result was 103. Doc wanted to put me on a Diabetic pill. I told him No, I would watch what I eat and we'd go from there. I used to junk out bad at night; candy, chips, drink regular cokes, ect... Now I drink Diet Coke and I don't eat anywhere near like I used to. I'm probably 10 pounds overweight. I have a physical job. I'm in good health, I have high blood pressure that is controled by meds. I bought a AccuCheck Active tester.
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