A paramedic wiped down my finger with an alcoholic wet wipe before carrying out the skin test. However he was very impatient and didn't wait long for the area to dry. My reading was 4.8 but I'm skeptical - would the wipe dilute my sample much or make the reading falsely low?
Alcohol wipes before finger prick test
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Dark Horse
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In theory, the drop of blood could be diluted if there was any residual fluid on the skin and therefore give a lower reading. Alcohol evaporates very quickly so in practice it's not usually a problem. Paramedics are generally checking that blood glucose isn't too low so it wouldn't matter if the reading was 4.8 instead of 6.0 mmol/l as even the lower reading is not hypoglycaemic.
JohnEGreen
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This may be of interest on alcohol wipes in general.
"Cleaning the finger with an alcohol swab prior to taking a blood sample is commonly recommended as a way to make sure the test site is clean. To determine whether alcohol swabbing effectively removes fruit residue, researchers at the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo measured the blood glucose levels of 10 volunteers without diabetes under a variety of conditions. As a control, the participants’ fingers were cleaned and a fingerprick check was conducted to determine their true blood glucose levels. The volunteers then peeled either oranges, grapes, or kiwis, and then had their blood glucose checked immediately, after swabbing with alcohol, and again after washing with tap water.
The researchers found that when the volunteers’ hands were cleaned with tap water, their blood glucose readings matched their readings prior to peeling the fruit, generally around 90 mg/dl. However, when their glucose levels were measured immediately after peeling the fruit, on average their readings shot up to 170 mg/dl after peeling an orange, 180 mg/dl after peeling a kiwi, and 360 mg/dl after peeling a grape, respectively. And even when they had swabbed their fingers with alcohol — in some cases as many as five times — prior to the measurement being taken, the readings still remained elevated over their actual blood glucose level.
In an interview with Reuters, Robert Cohen, MD, an endocrinologist who was not involved in the research, noted that “People are used to pricking the finger, drawing a blood sample, (and) assuming that the measurement they make reflects the sugar content in the blood.” But, he contends, people “really need to have a checklist” to ensure the most controlled monitoring environment possible and, consequently, the most accurate results possible.
According to the authors, the take-home message is to wash your hands with tap water instead of relying on alcohol swabs before checking your blood glucose — particularly if you have been handling fruit."
ww.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/an-important-step-for-accurate-glucose-readings/
"Cleaning the finger with an alcohol swab prior to taking a blood sample is commonly recommended as a way to make sure the test site is clean. To determine whether alcohol swabbing effectively removes fruit residue, researchers at the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo measured the blood glucose levels of 10 volunteers without diabetes under a variety of conditions. As a control, the participants’ fingers were cleaned and a fingerprick check was conducted to determine their true blood glucose levels. The volunteers then peeled either oranges, grapes, or kiwis, and then had their blood glucose checked immediately, after swabbing with alcohol, and again after washing with tap water.
The researchers found that when the volunteers’ hands were cleaned with tap water, their blood glucose readings matched their readings prior to peeling the fruit, generally around 90 mg/dl. However, when their glucose levels were measured immediately after peeling the fruit, on average their readings shot up to 170 mg/dl after peeling an orange, 180 mg/dl after peeling a kiwi, and 360 mg/dl after peeling a grape, respectively. And even when they had swabbed their fingers with alcohol — in some cases as many as five times — prior to the measurement being taken, the readings still remained elevated over their actual blood glucose level.
In an interview with Reuters, Robert Cohen, MD, an endocrinologist who was not involved in the research, noted that “People are used to pricking the finger, drawing a blood sample, (and) assuming that the measurement they make reflects the sugar content in the blood.” But, he contends, people “really need to have a checklist” to ensure the most controlled monitoring environment possible and, consequently, the most accurate results possible.
According to the authors, the take-home message is to wash your hands with tap water instead of relying on alcohol swabs before checking your blood glucose — particularly if you have been handling fruit."
ww.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/an-important-step-for-accurate-glucose-readings/
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In my former life as a nurse we were taught to clean fingers with water prior to a finger prick test. I carry a packet of these in my testing kit for occasions when I’m not near hand washing facilities:
https://www.funkypumpers.com/product/dia-wipes-single-pack/
https://www.funkypumpers.com/product/dia-wipes-single-pack/
I use them on occasions, if it's good enough for the pathology shop and hospitals to use them it's good enough for me.
res1492
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I used to know a heroin addict that was told by his doctor not to use the alcohol wipes because prolonged use makes the skin thicken up making it hard and painful to prick, I know the 2 are worlds apart but just an observation
