Finger pricks advice please

An nag

Newbie
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2
Hi all
I am gate crashing this site as my son is not diabetic but I need some advice and help urgently and decided this would be the best place for it!
My son is on warfarin due to a cardiac condition and needs regular finger pricks to test his INR but we are not able to do them as he screams down the hospital at the sight of the nurse who does them . My husband is up for holding him down and forcing him on Monday when he has his next finger prick but I want to just tackle it a bit more realistically, especially as this is a long term thing. So my questions are
1) how do I get him to cooperate?
2) what is the best lancet - looking around American forums this makes a difference but the recommended one doesn't seem to be available in the UK
3) do I need to buy anything else to put the lancet in or is it a self contained unit?
4) can I sort all this before Monday morning?
Thank you and I hope you don't mind me gate crashing your website but the heart association one doesn't have much on this.
Thanks in advance for any advice
Anna
 

Andy12345

Expert
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Hi, sorry to hear your son is poorly, the lancets i use come in a pen that you just hold against the finger and press the button and it fires it, they are available in most chemists i believe, my daughter over the years has has more injections and finger pricks than i care to remember and when she was young it was distraction that worked best, a cool book or a new toy and hey some sweets are effective, have you tried pricking yourselves in front of him while smiling like it didnt hurt then rewarding yourself with a treat that he dosent get any of hehe, the holding down method is soooo traumatic for everyone and just makes things worse (we found) i shudder when i think back, she is 10 now and takes it all in her stride, although the treat afterward never goes away lol, so yes i would say for the first time something he really really wants, then you can reduce the treats later when he has realised its really not so bad, i would definatly suggest you guys do it and not the nurse. Good Luck :)
 

initforlove

Well-Known Member
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93
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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diabetes
An nag said:
Hi all
I am gate crashing this site as my son is not diabetic but I need some advice and help urgently and decided this would be the best place for it!
My son is on warfarin due to a cardiac condition and needs regular finger pricks to test his INR but we are not able to do them as he screams down the hospital at the sight of the nurse who does them . My husband is up for holding him down and forcing him on Monday when he has his next finger prick but I want to just tackle it a bit more realistically, especially as this is a long term thing. So my questions are
1) how do I get him to cooperate?
2) what is the best lancet - looking around American forums this makes a difference but the recommended one doesn't seem to be available in the UK
3) do I need to buy anything else to put the lancet in or is it a self contained unit?
4) can I sort all this before Monday morning?
Thank you and I hope you don't mind me gate crashing your website but the heart association one doesn't have much on this.
Thanks in advance for any advice
Anna

buy emla cream

ask doctor as it may be available in you case a bit cheaper

he will not feel any pricks whatsoever
 

An nag

Newbie
Messages
2
Thanks for the advice - we can't use Emla cream as it affects the INR apparently but will try and get better lancets I am sure the hospital will be using the cheapest ones and maybe not the best
 
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Andy12345

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we used to be given a freeze spray also, i remember that worked well although he will know its coming, but if it dosent hurt maybee that would be ok.
 

Andy12345

Expert
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6,342
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also there are different places to prick ive read threads here where some people swear by the back of the finger, ill have a look see if i can find it brb
 

Andy12345

Expert
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well it seems to be a matter of opinion where to prick so i reckon you may have to have a search into the least painful place, maybee have a go on yourself :) if nothing else you will empathise
 

pav

Well-Known Member
Messages
361
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The finest lancets are the BD ultra fine, with the needle at only 0.2 mm dia while others are around 0.3 mm, which I think are around £6.50 a hundred.

Most lancing devices have variable depth penetration, with a couple having variable strike force, not sure how much these are but a guess up to £7. There are a few odd ball devices that don't take the standard run or the mill lancets.

Don't prick the pads of the fingers as they are pretty sensitive, though every one will feel the pin pricks differently try pricking yourself first to see what its like and see where its the least sensitive.
 

jowrich1

Member
Messages
6
Hi
I use the AccuCheck Softclik system, it's brilliant!! Has lancets in little drums of 6, easy to use and replace. You can set the depth it pricks from 1-6 depending on how deep it needs to go to bleed. My 3 year old son very rarely complains that it hurts, only when he's had us pricking the same site repeatedly. I got mine with an AccuCheck blood glucose meter (Asda are selling the meter at £10 and it comes with the Softclix pen, and I think a box of 4 drums = 24 pricks, extras can be bought online).
Hope this helps x