Diabetic Test Strips - Page 5

Strips hold a high priority in the management of diabetes and have been a key component in blood glucose testing since the 1990s. Here's how they work:

An enzyme called glucose oxidase transforms the blood glucose on the strip into an electrical current. The meter then reads the current as a glucose concentration which appears as a number on your meter screen. These strips can be +/- 20% of your actual glucose number.

All meters are strip-specific, so extra strips should be ordered when the meter is purchased. Test strips are usually available in bottles of 50 or 100 strips per container. Because diabetes test strips can be affected by heat, humidity, and artificial light, the container should be kept closed until the test strip is needed.

1. Before handling the strip to insert it into the meter, wash your hands with soap and warm water to avoid inaccurate results. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol gel-based product or an alcohol swab instead. Dry your hands and fingers completely. Remember that alcohol can dry out your skin, and you may already have dry skin from diabetes. Touching vitamins, jam, cereal, fruit, hand lotion, and other products may change blood sugar results. Before using diabetes test strips, dry your hands and fingers carefully to prevent blood sample dilution.
2. Diabetes strips can expire. Check the expiration date on the box, and make sure to open the box with the earliest expiration date first. Using expired strips can affect testing accuracy. Once opened, most strips are fresh for somewhere between 3-6 months, but check with the specific manufacturer and read the insert that comes with your box of strips for best results.
3. Place a new lancet into your diabetes lancet device each time you test. Reused lancets get dull after their first use because they're extremely thin and lose their coating, which could cause more pain. Additionally, diabetes test strips require an adequate amount of blood, and reused lancets may not draw enough. Once the lancet is completely in place, make sure the lancet device is set at a depth that works best for you.
4. Insert new glucose strips into the meter's opening before pricking your finger. For best accuracy, use the sides of your finger. Change fingers often to prevent infections or calluses. Within 5-10 seconds, you'll see a number on the meter's screen - this is your current blood sugar level. Make sure to document your number on a spreadsheet or logbook to share your results with your health care professional.

Avoid wasted diabetes test strips and unnecessary finger sticks by knowing when you need to check your glucose levels. Check with your diabetes management team to determine exactly when and how often you need to test your blood glucose. Often, blood glucose should be tested before and after a meal to see how the specific food impacted your blood sugar results. Blood sugars may also need to be tested first thing in the morning and before bed.

You may need to test more frequently and at different times depending on your personal situation. Testing provides health care professionals with data that allows them to make changes in your medical management and your current A1C value.

1. Diabetes test strips need to be fully inserted prior to placing the drop of blood on the strip.
2. Placing too little blood can cause a screen to read "error" or give a lower number than your actual number.
3. Placing too much blood on the strip may also result in an "error" on the screen and wasting an additional strip.
4. Having a battery that goes dead during the glucose test. Batteries last up to 2 years and can easily be replaced. The meter usually indicates when the battery power is low.
5. Removing glucose strips from the original container and placing them in your pocket, wallet, or meter case for convenience will make the strips inaccurate.
6. Discard diabetes test strips that have encountered dirt, water, crumbs, soap, lotion, food, or vitamins.
7. Reusing a test strip will produce inaccurate results because there are only enough enzymes for one test.