With the help of a blood glucose meter, the glucose concentration in the blood can be determined. In this way, patients can determine their own blood glucose.
What is a blood glucose meter?
A blood glucose meter is a microcomputer that makes it easy to measure blood glucose. A blood glucose meter is a medical device that can be used to determine the glucose concentration in a person’s blood. It is a microcomputer that enables the measurement of blood glucose in a simple way. For this purpose, the patient takes some blood from an artery, capillary or vein and applies it to a special blood glucose test strip. The blood sample is then tested by the blood glucose meter. A blood glucose meter is indispensable, especially for people suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus. The modern devices have the advantage of a precise measuring process. In addition, the measurement results are accurately recorded.
Forms, types and kinds
Diabetics can choose from various types of blood glucose meters in the modern era. These can be roughly divided into two forms. These include the single strip systems. In a device of this type, the test strips are stored in a container that is kept separate from the blood glucose meter. A new test strip is inserted into the meter before each use. Blood glucose meters with single strip systems are therefore also smaller and have less weight than integrated devices. However, the patient must store the additional components such as the lancing device and the test strips separately. The second type of blood glucose meter is the integrated measuring system. Such a device contains a drum with several strips. As a result, the integrated measuring system has a larger scope. On the other hand, the individual measurements do not need to be prepared separately. An important role in the purchase of a blood glucose meter is played by the requirements that the instrument should meet. These include a handy size, precise measurement results, easy operation of the device, short measurement duration, an extensive data memory and a display that the patient can easily read. In addition, the test results must be easy to understand and manage. When buying a blood glucose meter, good care should be taken, because the quality of the instruments varies from supplier to supplier. In principle, however, blood glucose meters are considered reliable. Incorrect readings are primarily caused by incorrect use.
Design and mode of operation
The blood glucose meter forms a unit together with the blood glucose test strips. The test strips are biosensors equipped with enzymatic substrate specificity. The incoming chemical signal is converted by the test strip into another signal from which the blood glucose meter can take an electrical measurement. The meter can amplify the electrical signal. With the help of integrated microprocessor technology, it is possible to convert the signal into a numerical value. For this purpose, the device requires a blood sample from the patient, which is applied to a test strip. The volume of the drop of blood that the patient gives is 0.4 microliters. Whereas in earlier years the finger had to be scratched with a knife-like lancet, nowadays a round, fine lancet is used instead. This ensures less damage to the tissue. A new lancet should be used after each puncture, because the fine lancet tips quickly blunt, making blood sampling more painful. How the blood glucose measurement is ultimately carried out depends on the type of measuring device. As a rule, the blood sample is taken from the lateral fingertip. After taking the sample, the diabetic applies blood to a test strip. It takes only a few seconds for the measured value to appear on the display. The normal blood glucose value for a healthy adult person is 55 to 90 mg/dl for whole blood. For blood plasma it is 70 to 100 mg/dl. The results obtained can also be logged, linked and processed by the blood glucose meter. Personal nutrition data, information on medication and data on exercise are important. In this way, the patient does not need to keep an extra diabetes diary. With special medical software, the data can also be transferred to a computer.
Medical and health benefits
A blood glucose meter is exceedingly important for diabetics to determine their blood glucose. Blood glucose monitoring is also known as spot blood glucose monitoring. With the help of this method, diseases associated with high or low blood glucose levels can be detected. Furthermore, a blood glucose meter is used to control diabetes mellitus. In the case of diabetes, the islet cells of the pancreas lose their function. As a result, insulin is released more frequently, which in turn leads to an increase in blood glucose levels. By measuring blood glucose, it is possible to detect hyperglycemia (high blood glucose). The same is true for hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar. Blood glucose measurement can also indicate other serious diseases. For example, a rise in blood glucose levels is sometimes considered a sign of pancreatitis or a heart attack. The health benefits of the blood glucose meter are, on the one hand, diagnostic and, on the other hand, therapeutic control. Among other things, the effect of certain drugs can be determined. In addition, it is possible to check compliance with therapy goals. The use of a blood glucose meter is also important for adjusting the amount of insulin before meals. The planned amount of carbohydrate can also be calculated. Blood glucose meters are primarily used for type I diabetes, type 2 diabetes treated with insulin, and gestational diabetes. Due to this fact, patient self-measurement is among the most significant elements of diabetes treatment.
