Glucose Control Solutions
Blood glucose monitoring can be a vital part of diabetes management, and a key step is finding a meter that’s right for you. Then you’ll need to use it faithfully at the frequency your doctor recommends, and let the results guide you to adjustments in insulin, diet, and exercise to reach your blood glucose targets.The blood glucose meter is one tool that many people with diabetes can’t do without. Whether you prick your finger many times a day or less often, checking your glucose levels is an important part of managing your diabetes. And so choosing a meter that suits you and helps provide you and your health care team with vital information is a task for which a little preparation can pay big dividends.
Blood glucose meters have changed significantly, and for the better, since they first became available for home use 30 years ago. Those early meters required large drops of blood that were more painful to squeeze out than the tiny samples now typically needed. Today’s lancets, outfitted with spring-loaded lancing devices, can puncture the skin quickly and with minimal discomfort. Improved test strips wick up the blood sample easily, results are available within seconds, and meters have fewer testing errors than in the past. Yet meter accuracy has become a hot-button issue, and manufacturers may be forced to meet a higher standard.
Blood glucose control solutions ensure accurate testing every time you test your blood glucose level. Use diabetes blood sugar control solutions every time you start a new box of diabetes test strips, get a new glucose meter or change your glucose meter’s batteries so you can rest assured knowing your test results are accurate. We carry a variety of trusted, brand name glucose control solutions. Find the control solution that matches your blood glucose meter for precise results every time.
Diabetes test strips, also called glucometer test strips, are used with a Diabetes meter to help measure the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood stream. Test strips are designed to be paired with specific meters. In order to use a test strip properly, a small blood sample is drawn from the body using a lancet. The sample is placed on the blood glucose test strip and then run through the Diabetes meter.
Checking for accuracy
If you test your blood glucose four times in a row with the same meter, using test strips from the same batch, your blood glucose is likely to be slightly different each time. How can that be? Meters aren’t always consistent. More important than consistency, though, is meter accuracy, or how close your meter results are on average to lab results.
Meters now are required under an international standard to produce results within a 20 percent margin of error, but the Food and Drug Administration is pressing for a tougher standard. Yet, even though home blood glucose tests can vary from lab tests and often are inconsistent, “almost all current meters are accurate enough to help you make good decisions about your therapy.
Features Of Blood Glucose Meters
1. Coding: For your meter to produce accurate results, it must be set to recognize a batch code encrypted in each test strip. Some meters recognize the code automatically when a test strip is inserted, while others require “coding,” meaning that you do some of the work. With most meters that need coding, you push buttons to set the code manually. Coding may also mean inserting a code chip or a code key into your meter every time you open a new package of test strips, verifying that the code number on your test strip package matches the number that pops up on your meter, and leaving the chip in the meter until it’s time to open a new box. Some meters use calibrator strips, which you insert just like a test strip with every new box. Since forgetting one of these steps could very likely lead to inaccurate results, it may be worth considering a meter that needs no coding.
2. One caveat: There is no industry standard of what “auto coding” means. You’ll need to check the meter’s instructions to know for sure you’re getting a meter that only asks you to prick your finger, insert the test strip, and read the result. You can find a user manual on the manufacturer’s Web site or call customer service for help.
Some auto-code or no-code meters still call for you to check the code number on your meter display against the one on the test-strip box. This step is an extra precaution that you should take, but some meters don’t call for it or don’t display the code number on the meter. If you suspect you’re getting inaccurate results, first check that the code numbers match. If your meter doesn’t display the code number, test it with control solution or call customer service.
3. Size: Most standard meters are about the size of a deck of cards. A few meters are small enough to fit easily in your pocket. Shapes can vary; meters marketed as “compact” are often longer and thinner than standard-shaped meters. Note that just because a meter is small overall doesn’t necessarily mean its display will be small and hard to read. Travelers, teens, and athletes may especially like compact meters, while standard-size meters may work better for people who want more data storage or who just find them easier to handle, hold, and read.
4. Sample size. Each meter requires a minimum blood sample size on a test strip. It generally ranges from 0.3 to 1.5 microliters. Most people prick their fingers using spring-loaded lancing devices that release a lancet at the push of a button. The smaller the needle’s gauge and the shallower its penetration under the skin, the less painful it is. (Changing lancets after each test may also help reduce pain and ensure an adequate blood sample.)
Alternate-site testing taking blood samples from other parts of the body, including the palm, forearm, and thigh requires a smaller blood sample and can reduce pain. All the meters in this guide offer instructions for such testing. You should ask your doctor if it is OK for you.
5. Memory and averages: Most meters hold from 200 to 450 test results, apart from a few, as well as 7-, 14-, 30-, and 60-day average blood glucose readings. You may choose to sacrifice data storage for the convenience of having a very compact meter. Many meters let you sync your results to a computer program, which may help you better track your long-term control and keep your doctor informed. You’ll want to find out what software is needed, how much it costs, and whether it’s compatible with your computer.
6. Operation in hot and cold temperatures: Most meters are guaranteed to work in the same temperature range, about 50 to 104 degrees. Only one meter operates in less than 40-degree temperatures: the Sidekick, which is rated as working at 36 degrees. And a few operate at temperatures higher than 110 degrees. Heating and cooling packs can help keep your meter functioning in winter or summer conditions.
7. Travel ready: Many people buy a backup meter for travel use only. If shopping for one, pay special attention to size, operating temperatures, battery type, and data storage. A disposable meter like the Sidekick may be an easy option; you can pitch it when you’re done with it. But if you travel frequently, do consider the cost of the test strips and your insurance coverage. If you have to purchase a meter on the fly, you may want to select one that includes all the accessories you’ll need in one box test strips, lancets, a lancing device, control solution, and batteries. No matter what meter you use, always travel with a set of backup batteries.
Things to remember when purchasing Glucose Control Solution:
• Each brand of Diabetes Control Solution is made for that specific brand of diabetes test strips, portion control plates and not necessarily for that specific brand of diabetes meter.
• The Diabetes Control Solution range is usually found on the package of diabetes test strips and Diabetes Insulin Pump.
• If an error occurs, follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to isolate and correct the error.
Keep in mind, too, that not all meters come with accessories. You may need to separately purchase a carrying case, a lancing device and lancets, control solution, containers for sharps disposal (though many household items, like plastic laundry detergent jugs, will work), a logbook, and computer software to go with your blood glucose meter. And you’ll also want to plan on periodically replenishing your supply of lancets and control solution.
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