Keeping Glucometers Clean

[makes needs known]

We have always cleaned our glucometers 1 time a day on 11-7 shift. The new guideline is to clean it after each blood sugar check using a special sani-wipe. Are other facilities doing this too? It makes sense.

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

We use the sani-wipes between uses on different patients. We have enough glucometers that we usually just keep one in a patients room if they require fingersticks. If we're full and have multiple patients requiring frequent fingersticks, we use the sani-wipes when we take it out of a patient room to use on another patient. Also, whoever does the daily quality check cleans them as well.

[makes needs known]

We have 2 glucometers, 1 for each hall. We have about 12 bs checks now. Our census and patients are always changing. I heard they sent 1 box of sani-wipes for our whole facility. 120 patients. They had better order some more. "Sani-wipes"-- sounds like something you use when you have your period. :)

[Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN]

we use the sani wipes on the glucometer between pts. My last job had gluco-chlor(?) wipes to use Q 24 as well. ~Ivanna

[vicarious]

It has been my experience that the policy is to clean the glucometer between every patient use. In reality, I have never, ever seen this done.

Just curious--how many of us sanitize our pens/ penlights/ watches between every patient? I cannot rationalize that, nor can I rationalize sanitizing a glucometer between EVERY patient use. I understand if the glucometer is dirty. I understand q24h. Further, I understand sanitizing stethoscopes--they come into contact with the pt. but I don't understand why nobody makes a big deal about why we do NOT sanitize blood pressure cuffs between every use. Think about it. What makes any of these things different? But I digress. I don't see a point in sanitizing glucometers unless they come into direct contact with the patient (which they do not). I don't wash my scrubs between patients..

Can somebody enlighten me on why it is recommended that the glucometers are sanitized between every patient use? Are there any randomized control trials not sponsored by the Clorox Wipe corporation :lol2:to show that there are any effects??

[MeganS]

Reno1978 said:

We use the sani-wipes between uses on different patients. We have enough glucometers that we usually just keep one in a patients room if they require fingersticks. If we're full and have multiple patients requiring frequent fingersticks, we use the sani-wipes when we take it out of a patient room to use on another patient. Also, whoever does the daily quality check cleans them as well.

Reno, your facility actually keeps them in pt rooms? Lucky you. Our facility keeps them under lock and key when not in use. This is required because the glucometers grew legs and walked off the floor,

[jnrsmommy]

Our facility just started using the wipes btwn each pt as well (if I remember correctly, it's from the same company as the machines). Anyhoo, it's to be used btwn pts w/ waiting 2min after wiping before it can be used on the next pt.

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

MeganS said:

Reno, your facility actually keeps them in pt rooms? Lucky you. Our facility keeps them under lock and key when not in use. This is required because the glucometers grew legs and walked off the floor,

Yeah, I work in a 20 bed ICU and we have like 8-10 of them. We usually have at least 6-8 on insulin drips that require fingersticks Q1 or Q2, so we usually just keep them in those rooms. If we take them out to go check another patient who's AC/HS or Q6 we wipe them down.

Ours require daily quality checks with the High and Low solutions and they must be docked twice a day to upload data...an employee badge, and patient ID band has to be scanned to take a blood sugar reading, so with all that it's pretty pointless to steal one.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We try and avoid taking the glucometer in rooms, but our policy is anything that goes in a room gets wiped down or thrown out. I would imagine a BMTU is stricter on this then a floor catering to a more immunocompetent population.

[makes needs known]

Well there is a possibility that blood could get on the machine, and should be cleaned off before going to next patient. We have to take glucometers into rooms because that's where the patients are. When patients are on isolation we try to keep bp cuff and stethoscope in room but we only have 2 cuffs/stethoscope's on the floor right now. We need more. The other night we shipped someone to the hospital and the ambulance squad tookone of our bp cuffs!

[vicarious]

If you do a finger stick correctly, if the patient never comes into direct contact with the glucometer itself, and if you aren't placing the glucometer on the patient's bed or sheets, I see no reason to clean the glucometer after every patient use. The last thing I am thinking about is how clean a glucometer (esp. one my patient is never going to touch) is. I'm more worried about my hands and the things I have with/on me, like my scrubs. The people that think the glucometers on the typical med/surg unit are getting cleaned after every patient live in a fantasy land. I'm starting to wonder if maybe they think we just haphazardly prick fingers and wipe the blood all over the machines until it spits a number out at us.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I've always wiped it down with cotton balls soaked in alcohol after each use. I keep them in a specimen up in the cart.