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ALTERNATE SITE TESTING

Alternate site Testing helps a diabetes patient test blood glucose on parts of body other than the finger tips. These parts includes your hand, upper arm, forearm, calf or thighs. Always avoid moles, veins, bones, and tendons while doing this test.
Diabetes patients testing multiple times a day may end up puncturing the fingers and can use alternate sites which relieves the patients.

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LAGGING SITES

Please note that other sites can be lagging as finger tips give the most accurate and on the spot Blood Glucose levels, holding most recent memory for Glucose. The other sites can be lagging by 30 minutes.

Lagging test sites are reliable when the levels are stable.

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WHEN NOT TO USE ALTERNATE SITE TESTING?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the below guidelines:
1. People with hypoglycemia should not use alternate site testing
2. Don’t use when a seriously low blood glucose might go undetected:
Just taken insulin, or any time during or after exercise
When there are unknown variables occurring in your day, such as illness
Any time you just feel “low”
Whenever you are about to drive

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CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR!

Always consult your doctor for an advice on alternate site testing. Test more often and give your fingertips some relief based on your Blood Glucose level trends and education on testing.

Remember to test on your fingertip or palm any time you want to be sure of an accurate, up-to-date blood glucose reading.