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Technical Information
6
Sample Handling
Always wear gloves when handling blood-contaminated items. Always adhere to the recognised procedures
for handling objects that are potentially contaminated with human material. Follow the hygiene and safety
policy of your laboratory or institution. Prepare the selected blood collection site per facility policy.
Refer to the test strip package insert for additional information regarding acceptable sample types,
anticoagulants, and handling instructions.
Recommending Alternative Site Testing to Patients
Decisions about whether to recommend Alternative Site Testing (AST) should take into account the
motivation and knowledge level of the patient and his or her ability to understand the considerations relative
to diabetes and AST. If you are considering recommending AST for your patients, you need to understand
that there is a potential for a significant dierence between fingertip or palm test results and test results
obtained from the forearm or upper arm. The dierence in capillary bed concentration and blood perfusion
throughout the body can lead to sample site-to-site dierences in blood glucose results. These physiological
eects vary between individuals and can vary within a single individual based upon his or her behavior and
relative physical condition.
Our studies involving alternative site testing of adults with diabetes show that most persons will find their
glucose level changes more quickly in blood from the fingertip or palm than in blood from the forearm or
upper arm.* This is especially important when blood glucose levels are falling or rising rapidly. If your patient
is used to making therapy decisions based upon fingertip or palm test results, he or she should consider the
delay, or lag time, aecting the test results obtained with blood from the forearm or upper arm.
*Data on file
51746_07022590001.indb 41 7/11/13 1:27 PM
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