The weather is getting colder, and many patients, especially elderly patients, have problems measuring blood sugar. Here are some simple and practical tips for measuring blood sugar.
Tip 1: Rub your fingers
Most blood glucose test strips require one-time blood collection, that is, the amount of blood drawn at one time must meet the minimum blood collection volume of the machine. When the weather is cold, it is often the case that the blood volume of finger pricking is too small. If the minimum blood collection volume is not enough, you have to prick again. You can tell the patient to clean his hands first, and then rub his hands to promote blood circulation and increase blood volume. The specific method is: palms facing each other, rub hands quickly for dozens of times until they feel warm. At the same time, you can also shake the arm where the finger needs to be pricked, or you can keep the arm drooping for half a minute. In addition, when the blood volume of the elderly is small, you can also rub the finger for blood collection in advance, but you need to gently rub the root of the finger instead of violently rubbing the blood collection site. This can ensure an appropriate blood volume and avoid squeezing. causing numerical errors.
Tip 2: Appropriate blood collection method
There are also skills in blood collection methods. The blood collection needle used for blood collection needs to be replaced every time to avoid repeated use. This can ensure that the needle is sharp and reduce tissue damage and pain. After each blood glucose measurement, the needle in the blood collection pen should be removed. Remove, put the needle cap on and discard. Of course, there are some blood glucose meters on the market with very thin blood collection needles, which can reduce pain, but the price of such needles is relatively high.
The location of blood collection is very important. Do not choose the middle part of the fingertips, nor too close to the nail (i.e. fingertip). Choose the side of the finger for blood collection, as this location will cause less pain. At the same time, do not always collect blood on one finger. You can rotate several fingers to collect blood just like injecting insulin.
Tip 3: Avoid alcohol-based disinfectants
Alcohol is generally used when collecting blood in hospitals, because in order to ensure the safety of blood collection in a hospital environment, alcohol needs to be used to disinfect the parts where blood collection is required. Wait for the alcohol to evaporate and dry your fingers before collecting blood, because the residual alcohol will react chemically with the blood. reaction, affecting the accuracy of the results. At the same time, the alcohol may not completely evaporate in a short period of time, and it is not easy to form complete blood drops if the fingers are not completely dry. Therefore, hospitals commonly use sterilized cotton balls to gently wipe away the first drop. Blood, collect the second drop of blood to measure blood sugar to ensure the accuracy of blood sugar values.
In a home environment, just wash your hands with clean water in advance. If your hands are not clean, you need to wash them with soap and other cleaning products. After washing your hands, just keep them dry. There is no need to disinfect them with alcohol, except that the alcohol mentioned above has not evaporated completely. In addition to diluting the blood, alcohol may also dehydrate and dry the skin, making it prone to cracking. It is recommended that diabetic patients take good care of their hands. Autumn and winter are relatively dry, and they can use hand moisturizer to avoid chapped finger skin.
Tip 4: Dress your glucometer
It's only autumn now, and the temperature is not that cold, but since it's cold weather, how to measure blood sugar skillfully, this point needs to be talked about. For example, in the Northeast of my country, the winter temperature is very low. If the blood glucose meter is used in an outdoor environment, it may not work properly. When purchasing a blood glucose meter, you need to check the normal operating temperature range of the machine. Diabetic patients in the Northeast need to consider this. In low-temperature environments, it is recommended to avoid measuring blood sugar outdoors in cold weather. If you need to go out, do not expose the blood glucose meter to outdoor low temperatures to avoid affecting its working performance. This is also a precaution to ensure accurate blood sugar measurement values.
In addition, patients should also be told that the test strips and instruments need to match, that the test strips need to be well kept to avoid moisture, and that they should be used within the shelf life. Only when the above details are done correctly can the blood glucose value be measured accurately and provide guidance for clinical plan adjustments. Accurate information.
Self-monitoring of blood sugar is a compulsory task for patients with diabetes. Blood sugar values can be used to evaluate patients' blood sugar control. If the blood sugar value is inaccurately measured, it will affect the doctor's clinical judgment, so everyone must learn the correct method of measuring blood sugar.
