Most medical professionals and experts insist that lancets (the little needles in glucose testing kits) should be changed after each finger poke.
Can I use a lancet more than once? Lancets are for single use only due to hygienic reasons and because the needle will become dull with repeated use. Hence a new, sterile lancet should be used each time you perform a test.
A. Finger-stick blood samplers (lancet devices) are used to obtain blood for testing blood sugar (glucose). These devices consist of two parts: a “lancet holder” that looks like a small pen; and a lancet, which is the sharp point or needle that is placed in the holder. The lancets are only ever used once.
DO NOT puncture the skin more than once with the same lancet, or use a single puncture site more than once, because this can lead to bacterial contamination and infection.
Although it is a good idea to change it about once a day, many diabetics do not find an issue with changing it once every 1-2 weeks. Every diabetic is different, it just depends on how much the prick bothers you! As long as no one else is using your pricker, there is no need to change it each and every time.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends against reusing any lancet, particularly if it happens to involve more than one person.
Wipe away the first droplet of blood with a cotton ball or gauze as indicated. Rationale: The first drop of blood may be contaminated with the alcohol used for disinfection, which may provide an inaccurate result.
On average, blood sugar readings were lower when people put pressure on the finger. The finding, according to the researchers, is in line with advice to avoid firm squeezing of the tested finger.
Once your hands are warm and dry, use the lancet on the side of your “favorite” finger. This may be mostly mental, but when it's early morning and my hands are cold, using a tried-and-true finger (left little finger, for me) really helps.
Best least painful lancing devices to buy
The 30-gauge needles are strong but thin to reduce discomfort and pain. You can use this lancing device on your finger or elsewhere on the body.
Finger-pricking devices are safe when individuals are using their own device. A risk of cross-infection can only occur when the blood of an infected patient remains on the device and contaminates the sharp lancet as it pierces the skin of the next patient.
Some precautions to take if you reuse syringes or lancets: Put the cover back on the needle after use. The safest way to do this is to place the cover and syringe on a flat surface and slide the cover over the needle without letting the needle touch either the flat surface or your fingers.
From the preceding considerations, it follows that a lancet of 0.8mm diameter has to penetrate at least 0.6-1.3mm into the skin to open enough vessels. Deeper or wider punctures provide more blood than necessary, cause needless pain and increase the danger of infectionb.
Q:Is this for single use only? A:Yes.
Testing is usually recommended before meals and at bedtime if you're taking multiple daily injections. You may need to test only before breakfast and sometimes before dinner or at bedtime if you use just an intermediate- or a long-acting insulin.
High uric acid and low hematocrit values have been suggested to cause falsely high BG readings, thereby resulting in inappropriate therapeutic decisions.
Contamination of the fingers is a common culprit in blood sugar reading variability. That's because it only takes a little bit of food residue on your hands to impact blood glucose levels. For example, just touching a banana or cutting a piece of fruit can send your numbers sky high.
Improve blood flow to the fingers by warming them. Lower hands below your waist level and gently massage the selected finger before obtaining blood. Press the lancing device firmly against the side of your fingertip. After lancing, massage your finger towards the tip to encourage a blood drop to form.
Recommended finger: the World Health Organisation recommends the middle or ring fingers are used for blood glucose tests (second and third fingers). You may want to avoid using your little finger due to the skin being thin.
Choose (and clean) the best finger
The best finger to get blood from is your ring finger. When performing a finger-prick test, use the side of your ring finger. It is where circulation is at its peak, and you are more likely to collect a complete sample from this one finger.
The middle or ring finger is preferred as having the greatest depth of tissue beneath the skin and hence offering the least chances of injury.
Many insulin-treated patients have to perform SMBG for a lifetime—some of them every day. Discarding the first drop of blood and refraining from squeezing the finger makes measurements more complex and necessitates deeper and more painful punctures.
The dawn phenomenon
In the early hours of the morning, hormones, including cortisol and growth hormone, signal the liver to boost the production of glucose, which provides energy that helps you wake up. This triggers beta cells in the pancreas to release insulin in order to keep blood glucose levels in check.
In most cases, doctors ask people to measure fasting blood sugar immediately upon waking and before they have anything to eat or drink. It may also be appropriate to test blood sugar before eating or 2 hours after a meal, which is when blood sugar returns to normal levels.