Buy Blood Glucose Meter and Diabetic Test Strips Online.

1. Blood Glucose Test Strips

2. Blood Glucose Test Strips • The blood glucose test strips (diabetes test strips) are a key component of the blood glucose testing. • These small disposable strips of plastic can look insignificant, but they provide a very important role in aiding people with diabetes to control and monitor their diabetes. • In the vast majority of cases, a diabetes testing machinewill take one type of test strip only. • There are many blood glucose meters that take blood ketone strips as well, to tests for ketone levels.

3. Blood Glucose Test Strips • How do Diabetes Test Strips Work? • Regular testing with diabetes test strips is an important part of successful diabetes management. • When the blood is placed on to the test strip, it reacts with a chemical called glucose oxidase producing gluconic acid from glucose in the blood. • At the other end of the test strip, the meter transfers a current to the test strip. • The test strip has electric terminals that allow the meter to measure the current between terminals.

4. Blood Glucose Test Strips • The current between terminals changes depending on the level of gluconic acid that has been produced. • The blood glucose meter then utilizes an algorithm to act out the blood glucose level based upon the difference in current. • Some blood glucose test strips allow reapplication of more blood to same test strip if needed during the test. • The amount of the blood required by a test strip can vary between the manufacturers. Generally, between 0.4 μl to 1 μl of the blood is required.

5. Blood Glucose Test Strips • Some test strips, not so commonly utilized these days, do not require a meter. • Blood is placed on the active part of the strip and then wiped off after a specified number of seconds. • Reagent will change the color and result can be obtained by matching color against a color chart on side of the pot.

6. Types of Diabetes Test Strips • Currently Three varieties of Diabetes test strips are available • The first and most commonly used type of diabetic testing strip requires the user to drop a small amount of blood into it. • The other kind of diabetic testing strip is more advanced, and uses gentle suction to make contact with the blood sample. • Nipro, Freestyle and Accuchek are the most popular brands in the diabetic testing supplies.

7. Testing Strips • Important Things to Keep in Mind while Using Blood Glucose Monitors with Test Strips: • A consumable element retaining chemicals that react with glucose in the drop of blood is utilized for each measurement. • For many models, the element is a plastic test strip with a small spot impregnated with glucose oxidase and other components.

8. Testing Strips • Each strip is utilized once and then discarded. • Instead of strips, some models use drums, discs, or cartridges that retain the consumable material for multiple tests. • You can use famous brands like AccuChek Active Test Strips.

9. Coding • Since the test strips may vary from batch to batch, many models require the user to enter manually in a code found on the vial of the test strips or on a chip that comes with the test strip. • By entering coding or chip into the glucose meter, the meter will be calibrated to that batch of the test strips. • However, if the process is carried out incorrectly, the meter reading can be up to 4 mmol/L (72 mg/dL) inaccurate. • The implication of an incorrectly coded meter can be serious for the patients actively managing their diabetes.

10. Volume of Blood Sample • The size of the drop of the blood needed by different models varies from 0.3 to 1 μl. • Older models required larger blood samples, defined as a “hanging drop” from the fingertip. • Smaller volume requirements decrease the frequency of unproductive pricks.

11. Alternative Site Examining • Smaller drop volumes have enabled “alternate site testing” — pricking forearms or other less sensitive portions instead of the middle of fingertips. • Pricking the sides of the fingertips is the least uncomfortable method of testing. • Though less uncomfortable, readings obtained from the forearm blood lag behind the fingertip blood in reflecting rapidly changing blood glucose levels in the rest of the human body. • The times it takes to read the test strip may range from 5 to 60 seconds for various models.

12. Display • The glucose value in mmol/l or mg/dl is displayed on the digital display. • The preferred measurement unit varies by country: mg/dl is preferred in France, U.S., Israel, Japan, and India. Mmol/l is used in Australia, Canada, the UK and China. • Germany is the only country where the medical professionals routinely operate in both the units of the measure.

13. Display • To convert mg/dl to mmol/l, divided by 18. To convert mmol/l to mg/dl, multiplied by 18. • Many meters can display either unit of the measure. • There have been a couple of published instances in which individual with diabetes has been misled into wrong actions by assuming that a reading in mmol/l was really a low reading in mg/dl, or the converse. • In general, if a value is presented with a decimal point, it is in mmol/l, without a decimal it is most likely mg/dl.

14. Factors That Effect of ResultsUsing Test Strips • You must throw out outdated or damaged test strips. • Store strips positively in their sealed container; keep them away from moisture heat, and humidity. • Be sure strips are meant for your specific glucose meter. • Keep your glucose meter and the test strips at room temperature. • Wash and dry the hands and the testing site thoroughly before pricking your skin. • Use one of the fast-acting glucose tests strips and receive your blood glucose results in as little as three seconds.