People with diabetes know the importance of monitoring blood sugar, but if blood sugar monitoring is inaccurate, it will have a great impact on treatment. The following 10 errors will affect the accuracy of blood glucose monitoring, and diabetic patients must keep them in mind.
1. The blood glucose meter and test strip brands do not match
The blood glucose meter and test strips must be of the same brand and must be used together; if brand A's blood glucose meter is used with brand B's test strips, the results will definitely be inaccurate.
2. The blood glucose meter code is inconsistent with the test strip code
The code of the test strip is the link between the blood glucose meter and the test strip. If the code of the blood glucose meter used is inconsistent with the code of the test strip, it will lead to inaccurate blood glucose monitoring. If your blood glucose meter is not code-free, be sure to pay attention to this.
3. The test strip has expired
Generally speaking, test paper has its own expiration date. If the use period of the test paper exceeds, it will also lead to inaccurate blood glucose monitoring; the test paper should be stored in a dry, light-proof, sealed environment with a room temperature of 4°C to 30°C.
4. Improper storage of test strips after opening
The measurement principle of the blood glucose meter is to obtain the value by forming a microcurrent after the glucose in the blood reacts with the enzyme in the test paper. In order to ensure the qualitative change of the enzyme in the test paper, the preservation and use of the test paper is very important.
・When measuring, after taking out a test paper, you must immediately close the test paper bottle cap to prevent the remaining test paper in the bottle from being exposed to the air for too long and becoming damp;
・Take out the test paper and generally complete the measurement within 2 minutes to prevent the test paper from being exposed to the air for too long;
・ Normally, test paper bottles must be stored in a cool, dry place and used up within the validity period to prevent deterioration;
・After opening the bottled test strips, the opening date should be marked and used within 3 months.
5. Unclean skin
When measuring blood sugar, you must keep your fingers clean. Food residue or other dirt remaining on your fingers will affect blood sugar values. Therefore, when measuring blood sugar, wash your hands with warm water and wait until the skin is dry before measuring.
6. Improper use of disinfectants
When measuring blood sugar, use 75% alcohol to disinfect the skin of the finger for blood collection, and wait until the alcohol dries before collecting blood.
If the alcohol is not dry, it will thin the blood, causing the numbers to be low. In addition, do not use iodophor for disinfection, because iodine has a strong oxidizing effect and will react with glucose oxidase remaining on the skin, affecting the accuracy of the measurement.
7. Improper blood collection method
The needle puncture is too shallow, less than 2 mm, and excessive squeezing causes tissue fluid to dilute the blood sample, making the results falsely low.
If the acupuncture is too deep, the pain will cause tension, which will excite the sympathetic nerves, increase the secretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine, and increase blood sugar.
When collecting blood, the puncture depth should be appropriate. The puncture depth should be based on the capillary network of the dermal papilla layer. Too deep will increase the pain. The depth of the needle should be adjusted in time depending on the thickness of the skin. Generally, the puncture depth is 2 to 3 mm, and the blood can be collected. to a sufficient amount of blood (now test paper manufacturers are equipped with disposable blood collection needles, which are easy to use, there is no need to adjust the depth of the needle, and there is little pain).
The blood collection site should be chosen on both sides of the fingertips, which can reduce pain and enrich blood circulation. It is best to let the blood flow out naturally, or push forward from the base of the finger so that the blood flows to the fingertip. Do not just squeeze the needle site.
8. The blood glucose meter is not clean
Some blood glucose meters have dust, fibers, debris, etc. on the test interface, especially blood adhering to the test area, which will affect the test results.
9. Failure to calibrate the blood glucose meter for a long time
Failure to regularly calibrate the blood glucose meter is the main reason that affects the accuracy of blood glucose monitoring. In the following five situations, the blood glucose meter needs to be calibrated in time:
1. When using the newly purchased blood glucose meter for the first time;
2. Every time you use a new box of test strips;
3. When you suspect there is a problem with the blood glucose meter or test strips;
4. When the blood sugar value does not match the condition;
5. After the blood glucose meter was accidentally dropped.
10. The battery of the blood glucose meter is low.
When the blood glucose meter is low on battery, it continues to operate, resulting in the inability to measure blood glucose results.
If there is a flashing battery symbol after turning on the instrument, indicating the word or symbol "Low Battery", replace the battery with a new one in time, and then follow the steps after the blood glucose meter operates normally; if the blood glucose value cannot be measured by forced operation, the test strips will be wasted.
5 tips to help you choose the right blood glucose meter
1. Choose a blood glucose meter approved by the Food and Drug Administration (the only authority in charge of domestic medical devices) for quality review. The quality of its machine and test strips is stable and reliable.
2. Choose a blood glucose meter with a short numerical analysis time to reduce errors.
3. For diabetes patients with blurred vision and eye diseases, you can choose a blood glucose meter with a large screen and large fonts.
4. Choose a fully automatic smart blood glucose meter with fewer operating steps to reduce operating steps and obtain data faster to reduce errors.
5. Choose a blood glucose meter with more test strips and electrodes. The more electrodes the blood glucose meter test paper has, the greater the stability. Generally, test strips have 2-5 electrodes, 2 electrodes are the most basic, 3 electrodes generally have a short-circuit self-test function, and 4 electrodes can detect insufficient blood volume (to prevent low blood sugar values due to too little blood collection), automatic correction, Anti-interference, automatic error reporting and other functions.
Specifically, you can choose a good, high-accuracy blood glucose meter based on personal needs, financial capabilities and other factors.
