Properties | Details |
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Purpose of Use | Measure the amount of glucose in the body. It is used to monitor blood sugar levels to manage diabetes |
Types | Glucose meters are close in mechanism of action. However, each glucose meter is different, tailored to the user's preference. Some devices are designed for people with vision problems, some are designed to be small pocket-sized for travel, and some are designed to attach to a mobile device for follow-up. If your budget is low or you don't want to constantly use your fingertips to extract a test sample, there are glucose meters designed just for you. If you want to continuously monitor your sugar level, there is a glucose sensor placed under the skin to measure your sugar level every few minutes, called a continuous glucose monitor. Here is a comparison between a basic glucose meter and a continuous glucose monitor: 1. Basic Glucometer: • Measures the amount of glucose once during the test. • Not financially expensive. • The sensors are located in the device itself. • The device measures the level of sugar in the blood. • The test should be done several times a day to track the rate of change in the sugar level. • It needs to be prepared, prepared and follow the steps for the test. 2. Continuous glucose monitor: • It continuously measures the amount of glucose every few minutes. • Its price is a bit high. • The sensor is placed in the body under the skin. • The sensor measures the level of sugar in intercellular fluids. • The best in analyzing the rate of change in the level of sugar in the body. • It only needs to implant the sensor under the skin and does not need any other equipment and steps |
Proper Use | 1. Wash your hands well with soap and water and clean them with alcohol swabs before you start using the meter. 2. Dry your hands to prevent dilution of blood with water or alcohol. 3. It is preferable to warm the hands before the test to improve blood flow in them. 4. Turn on the device and place the test strip in its designated place. 5. With a single-use scalpel/needle, make a small incision in the tip of a clean finger, then squeeze it slightly to extract the drop of blood. 6. Touch the end of the test strip with the tip of your finger to put the blood sample into it. Sample size varies with the type of glucose meter. 7. Clean the tip of your finger from the remnants of blood. 8. The result will appear within moments. 9. Some glucose meters provide additional features such as Bluetooth connectivity, alarm clock, memory, the ability to extract a blood sample from several places, and read the result by voice. 10. If this is your first use, read the instructions that came with the device and use the test solution to test the device's performance. Put a drop of the solution in the test slide and wait for the result. The result must be the same as written on the solution container or instruction book |
Safety Precautions | • Keep the device in a clean, dry place, away from extreme temperatures. • Make sure to clean his hands well to avoid any infection and to make sure that there are no food residues that may affect the blood sugar measurement. • Check the expiry date of the test strips. Expired test strips may give false results. • Close the device cover after use to preserve the test strips, which would spoil them. • Throw out the used needle in a non-permeable container |
Common Problems | wrong reading. There are several reasons that can cause this problem to occur. Expired or corrupt test strips are one such reason. Failure to clean and/or dry hands prior to blood sample extraction is also a possible cause. The reading may also be affected by the presence of opposing substances in the blood such as vitamin C and Tylenol. Read the instructions from the book or consult your doctor for more information |
Saudi Food and Drug Authority license | Rated Annex II List B, moderate severity |
Manufacturers | • Terumo Corporation. • Abbott diabetes care Ltd. • Roche diagnostics GmbH. • Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment and Supply. • ACON Laboratories Inc. |
Sources | • Saudi Food and Drug Authority • US Food and Drug Administration • verywellhealth • verywellhealth - How to Use a Glucometer • Mayo Clinic |