Testing BM when soap and water is not available???

[heart01]

Hi

What do you use to clean your hands when testing blood sugars when your out and about, and there is no soap and water available.

I usually use Baby wipes but have been told that these may leave sugar on the hands??????????

 

[ailz]

I use one of those alcohol (or whatever) gels that are for use without soap and water - as long as you let it dry well. I often use them if I use a public loo as I don't fancy touching the taps and drier and considering myself clean.

Cheers
Ailz

 

[Sue o2]

I tried carex handgel but my readings were higher than expected,
reading the ingredients after found there is glycerin in it.

Sue

 

[anna29]

,Hiya, aloe vera carex antibacterial hand gel small handy size in my hand bag ! Nothing makes much difference with my consistant high BS levels. :roll: Anna.x

 

[sugar2]

I just don't clean my fingers, as I assume they are clean enough. Obviously, if I were working on a farm, or had been in the garden, then I would clean my hands, but normally, I don't bother.

I say this being a healthy adult, with no immune issues, I know that some people have to be far more careful.

 

[HLW]

I use my left little finger (I'm right handed) if I can't wash my hands, as it's probably the finger I use the least so won't have been touching food etc.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

I just don't clean my fingers, as I assume they are clean enough.

I fall into this camp too, when I go fishing I take some antibacterial hand gel which cleans without water but day to day I rarely wash before testing although I do wash my wands quite regularly
anyway, I dont want everyone to think I am skanky :lol:


Edit: wands LOL I meant hands of course I'm not Harry Potter but that particular typo made me laugh so I thought Id leave it in.

 

[jopar]

You shouldn't use any hand wipes or cleansers that contain alcohol has this can intefer with the readings...

Generally I don't bother to wash my hands all the time, if I feel that my hands are clean I don't bother, if I get a reading higher than expected I will toddler off wash my hands and recheck..

 

[Hobs]

Having obtained a few erroneous readings while out and about where running water was unobtainable, I invested in a small 5ml pump spray and keep it filled with surgical spirit... its small enough to fit in my kit too.
It works very well and cost me well under a fiver (£5) posted to my door.

I've taken a swift look and its still available with a link below:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Personal-Produc ... m_beauty_4

 

[phoenix]

I don't wash unless hands before testin unless I'm in the middle of gardening or cooking.
When I'm out running, I sometimes sprinkle a bit of water from water bottle over my fingers and (sorry) dry them on my shorts, I use dextrose when running and sometimes the residue gets on my fingers.
Thinking back though, they don't ask you to wash your hands in hospital (well here they don't) you just stick out your hand and they prick it and give you a bit of gauze to us afterwards. Sometimes they try to do it without waking you for the 3am check! It's the same for injecting.
On the other hand learning to fill an reservoir and insert a cannula for pumping involved detailed hand washing lessons, the use of sterile plastic mats to lay everything out on and single use bottles of chlorhexadine and sterile gauze swabs, for the insulin vial and the cannula site.
I still try to do that 'right' though I gave up on the plastic mats after the first few changes, my pharmacist never managed to get them and they weren't on prescription.

 

[hallii]

Spit and rub my finger on my underpants, they are clean(ish)

H

 

[frenchkittie]

... they don't ask you to wash your hands in hospital (well here they don't) you just stick out your hand and they prick it and give you a bit of gauze to us afterwards. Sometimes they try to do it without waking you for the 3am check!

They may try, they seldom succeed. They use those savage single use lancets, you'd have to be a pretty tough cookie to sleep through that :shock:

I wash my hands pretty regularly, but I'm in the not washing before testing team too, unless I'm fairly sure that my hands are mucky, or to retest after an unexpectedly high reading.

 

[ClaireG 06]

I'm the same, only wash my hands if i think they really need it or i get an unexpected reading.

 

[louiseb]

I just don't clean my fingers, as I assume they are clean enough.

I fall into this camp too, when I go fishing I take some antibacterial hand gel which cleans without water but day to day I rarely wash before testing although I do wash my wands quite regularly
anyway, I dont want everyone to think I am skanky :lol:


Edit: wands LOL I meant hands of course I'm not Harry Potter but that particular typo made me laugh so I thought Id leave it in.

thanks for the laugh :lol: :lol:

 

[heart01]

Thanks all i probs wont wash them now lol................

 

[LittleSue]

I generally wash my hands before testing, if I can. Out and about I use alcohol gel, but that's usually after shopping when I've been touching food and goodness knows what else.

I've tried using alcohol gel, testing, then washing and testing again, with no significant difference in the results. I've also sometimes gelled, tested, then realised I'd recently applied handcream, so washed it all off and tested again - still no difference, although it's always use the same Diprobase cream.

I work in the NHS so I've had the compulsory training in washing hands. I rarely go near patients, but it'll be useful when I start pumping - next week

 

[SophiaW]

I like to clean Jess' hands before testing because I never know if there might be sugar residue on her fingers from an earlier fruit snack. I have some non-alcohol medical wipes stored in her test kit and I'll use one of them to wipe clean the side of her little finger which if she's eaten fruit is less likely to be contaminated with sugar than the other fingers. Often we'll have a bottle of drinking water if we're out so I could also use that to make sure her finger is clean and free of any sugar. If all else fails I use her toe to do a test. For me cleaning the test site is more important because of the need for an accurate reading (no sugar residue from earlier eaten food) than for hygiene reasons, although hygiene is important too.

 

[Spearmint]

At home she uses just water unless her hands are actually dirty

When out if there is no tap, she uses a handwipe if her hands are dirty (eventually found some that don't contain glycerin) or if her hands are clean i get her to lick her finger and dry it on her clothes

 

[Unicornz]

I'm the same, only wash my hands if i think they really need it or i get an unexpected reading.

Same for me, rarely wash them unless I'm in the middle of cooking. Whenever I had an unexpected reading and I washed my hands and retested, it's never been different afterwards.

 

[wigzaah]

i was told to always wash before testing in case there is any kind of residue on my finger. the only time i forgot (in the very early days) the reading was 32 which rather took me by surprise, i washed my hands and re-tested and it was 26.

as a result i find a way to wash them somewhere / somehow before testing and as an absolute last resort i'll spit on the finger and wipe it on my clothes