Glucometer to use on multiple patients

[CrunchRN]

Hi All,

I need to get a glucometer to use in a research study on multiple participants. I have 2 questions:

1. What glucometer do you like?

2. what single use disposable lancets do you like?

Your help is very much appreciated.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Sarcasm?

Actually, that is the policy at my facility too: we use prepackaged disinfectant wipes after each patient.

Granted, I'm not in LTC doing 10-20 readings a shift...so your mileage may vary.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

No committee for me. This is full professor driven and they feel is it close enough for the purpose of this pilot. With pilot studies you have a lot more lattitude. Then when the evaluation happens and if is decided to go ahead that is when things will get very stringent. No way are they going to cover the cost of A1c's along with everything else for a 20 subject pilot. Diabetes in and of itself is not an issue. Just they want "generally healthy".

[morte, LPN, LVN]

if you can "stick" them within an hour of eating, you may get a "truer" picture.....It has been known for years that a fasting is no longer the gold standard. Good luck.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Understood, unfortunately they need to be fasting. However, if it becomes a full study they will be brought in for a non-fasting screening only appt.

In an ideal fully funded world....................

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

No, you and I are in long term care, where this is standard. I don't think Crunch is.....

I think we must use a different kind of glucometer. Like GrnTea said, with the standard kind that uses a different disposable test strip for each use, I don't see where there's a risk for cross contamination.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I think we must use a different kind of glucometer. Like GrnTea said, with the standard kind that uses a different disposable test strip for each use, I don't see where there's a risk for cross contamination.

That's the type we use (Accu-chek with the single-use test strip, used with the single-use disposable lancet), yet they still make us scrub the machine down between each stick. I'm inclined to agree with you though--unless the patient's blood gets loose on the equipment, there should be minimal risk of cross-contamination.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I think we must use a different kind of glucometer. Like GrnTea said, with the standard kind that uses a different disposable test strip for each use, I don't see where there's a risk for cross contamination.

It isn't just the blood, anything else in their enviornment, c dif spores etc. Sometimes i think it was proposed by the machine makers or wipes makers...just to make more money. Were I work, they bought the least exp. machines, in quanity, and patients get there own.

trying to do 6-8 FSBS within the correct time frame, while allowing the machine to air dry....not going to happen.

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

Viruses like Hep B can survive outside the body for 7 days. Indirect contact transmission (when the patient never contacts the meter) can occur when the HCP pricks the finger and handles the test strip (b/c their hands become contaminated). This process has been implicated in numerous Hep B outbreaks. Even if there's no visible blood on the meter, there's still a risk for contamination. I sat in on a presentation about this at an Epi Conference when I worked in VA.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

The CDC guidance says to clean according to the manufacterers guidelines.