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Indications

A blood glucose monitoring device (glucometer) is used at home to check the blood sugar level of people with diabetes, using a small drop of blood from a fingertip. Regular checks help you and your doctor adjust diet, exercise and medicines, and help you spot low or high sugar early. It is a monitoring tool and is not used to diagnose diabetes.

How It Works

A disposable test strip is inserted into the meter. When blood touches the strip, an enzyme on it reacts with the sugar in the blood and produces a tiny electric signal. The meter measures this signal and shows the blood sugar reading within a few seconds, usually in mmol/L or mg/dL.

Dosage and Administration

How to use (always follow the instructions supplied with your meter):

• Wash your hands with soap and warm water and dry them well.
• Insert a new test strip into the meter.
• Use the lancing device with a new lancet to prick the side of a fingertip.
• Touch the blood drop to the strip until it fills, then read the result.
• Write down or save the reading with the date, time and whether it was before or after a meal.
• How often to test depends on your treatment; follow your doctor's advice. People on insulin usually need to test more often.

Interactions

Some factors can give false readings: dirty or wet fingers, expired or damp strips, strips from a different meter, too little blood, very high or low room temperature, dehydration, and very high or low red blood cell levels. With some strip types, high doses of Vitamin C, Paracetamol, or certain sugars given in hospital drips (such as maltose) may affect results. Check the strip leaflet.

Contraindications

• Not for diagnosing diabetes; diagnosis needs a laboratory test.
• Not suitable for people in shock, with severe dehydration or very poor circulation, as readings may be wrong.
• Not for use in newborn babies unless the device states it is suitable.
• Lancets and lancing devices must never be shared between people.

Side Effects

The fingertip may feel sore or bruise slightly. Changing the finger used and pricking the side rather than the centre helps. Shared or reused lancets can spread infections.

Get urgent medical help if the reading is very low (below about 4 mmol/L or 70 mg/dL) and you feel shaky, sweaty, confused or drowsy and do not improve after taking sugar, or if the reading is very high (for example above about 16.7 mmol/L or 300 mg/dL, or the meter shows HI) with vomiting, drowsiness, deep breathing or confusion. If a person is unconscious, call emergency help.

Pregnancy and Lactation

Safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women with diabetes in pregnancy (including gestational diabetes) often need to test several times a day; follow the targets set by your doctor.

Precautions and Warnings

Use only the strips made for your meter and check the expiry date. Check the meter with control solution when you open a new pack of strips, if the meter has been dropped, or if results do not match how you feel. Set the correct date, time and unit. Do not change your medicine doses based on a single unexpected reading; repeat the test and speak to your doctor. Dispose of used lancets in a hard container.

Overdose

Not applicable, as this is a testing device. If the reading shows low or high blood sugar, follow the advice in the Side Effects section and your diabetes care plan.

Therapeutic Class

Medical device: blood glucose meter for diabetes self-monitoring.

Storage

Store the meter and strips in a cool, dry place below 30°C, away from direct sunlight and moisture; do not freeze or keep them in a bathroom or car. Close the strip container immediately after taking a strip and use strips before the expiry date. Keep lancets out of the reach of children.