Forearm Blood Sampling (“Alternate Site”)
The forearm has fewer nerve endings than the fingertip so you may find that obtaining a blood sample from the forearm may be much less painful than using the fingertip. The technique for forearm sampling is different from fingertip sampling. Also there are differences between forearm samples and fingertip samples that you should understand.
Important Information About Forearm Testing
•Under certain conditions, blood glucose test results obtained using samples taken from your forearm may differ significantly from fingertip samples.
•The conditions in which these differences are more likely to occur are when your blood glucose is changing rapidly such as following a meal, an insulin dose, or associated with physical exercise.
•When blood glucose is changing rapidly, fingertip samples show these changes more quickly than forearm samples.
•When your blood glucose is falling, testing with a fingertip sample may identify a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) level sooner than a test with a forearm sample.
•Use forearm samples only for testing prior to, or more than two hours after, meals, insulin doses, or physical exercise.
•Testing performed within two hours after meals, insulin doses, or physical exercise, or whenever you feel that your glucose levels may be changing rapidly, should be done from the fingertip.
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