Equipment & Instruction
How to Monitor your Blood Glucose
Supplies you will need:
- Lancet
- Lancet device
- Blood glucose meter
- Blood testing strip for the meter
- Logbook or paper to record your results
Essential Steps:
- Wash your hands with soap and dry them well.
- Insert a new lancet into your lancet device and prepare the device for testing.
- Insert a blood testing strip into your blood glucose meter - be sure the testing strip is coded to match your blood glucose meter, otherwise results could be flawed.
- Hold the lancet device firmly against the side of one of your fingertips.
- Press the button on the lancet device to poke your finger.
- In a squeeze and release motion, obtain a drop of blood from your finger.
- Hold the end of the strip up to the drop of blood, try to avoid touching the skin itself, instead let the blood soak into the testing strip.
- Wipe off your finger with a tissue or piece of gauze.
- Look for your blood glucose results shown on the screen of your blood glucose meter.
- Record this result in your blood glucose logbook; indicate if this result is before or after a meal or exercise.
- Remove and discard lancet.
Additional tips and troubleshooting hints:
If the result shown on your blood glucose meter is unexpected consider the following:
- Did you get enough blood on the testing strip?
- Were your hands clean and dry?
- Were your blood testing strips expired?
- Was the bottle to your testing strips left open or exposed to extreme heat or cold?
- Was your meter properly coded?
Some blood glucose meters must be coded prior to use. When you turn on the meter, a number or letter code will appear on the screen which must match the number or letter on the bottle of your testing strips. Follow your meter's instruction manual to properly code the meter.
How to Give Insulin: Using an Insulin Pen
Supplies you will need:
- Insulin pen
- Pen needle
- Alcohol swab
Essential Steps:
- Wash and dry your hands well.
- Clean your injection site with an alcohol swab and let the area dry.
- Open your insulin pen and a pen needle, screw the pen needle onto the
end of the insulin pen.
- Give an "air shot" dial the pen needle up to 2-4 units and push the
plunger, disposing the insulin into a tissue or garbage can. This prepares
the insulin pen for your injection.
- Dial the pen needle up to the number of your prescribed dose.
- With one hand, pinch up the area of skin around your injection site while using your other hand to hold the insulin pen at a 90 degree angle.
- Insert the needle and push down on the plunger to inject the insulin under your skin.
- Release the skin around your injection site and hold the insulin pen in place for a count of 10 seconds.
- Remove and discard the pen needle and replace the cap on your insulin pen.
How to Give Insulin: Using a Syringe & Vial
Supplies you will need:
- Syringe
- Vial of insulin
- Alcohol swabs
Essential Steps:
- Wash and dry your hands well.
- Clean your injection site with an alcohol swab and let the area dry.
- If you are using "cloudy" or "mixed" insulin, roll the vial gently back and forth in your hands for about 30-60 seconds.
- Open the cap on the vial of insulin and use an alcohol swab to clean the rubber top of the vial.
- Remove the cap from the syringe making sure to not touch the needle.
- Pull the plunger back to the number or line required for your insulin dose, the syringe will be full of air.
- Insert the needle into the rubber top of the vial and push the plunger to insert the air from the syringe into the vial of insulin.
- While the needle of the syringe is still inserted into the vile, turn both the vial and syringe upside down.
- Pull back on the plunger of the syringe, filling the syringe with insulin, stop at the number or line required for your insulin dose.
- If there are air bubbles in the syringe, gently tap it a few times to dislodge them before removing the syringe from the vial.
- With one hand, pinch up the area of skin around your injection site, while using your other hand to hold the insulin syringe at a 90 degree
angle.
- Insert the needle and push the plunger to inject the insulin under the skin.
- Hold the syringe in place for 5-10 seconds.
- Remove and discard the syringe.
Additional tips and troubleshooting hints:
Where should I give an insulin injection?
Common injection sites include the thigh, upper arm, hip, upper buttocks, and abdomen. Avoid any scarred skin, open wounds, or areas with moles. If using the abdomen, give the injection at least 2 inches away from the navel area.
What do I do if some insulin comes out after I give an injection?
This is called "leak back" be sure to hold the insulin pen or syringe in place for a count of at least 10 seconds and rotate your injection sites to different parts of your body as directed by your healthcare provider. Why is it important to rotate my injection sites?
Giving insulin injections in the same areas of your body repeatedly can result in something called "hypertrophy" The skin can feel rough and you may notice a lump forming under the skin which is the breakdown of fatty tissue in that area. The biggest risk of hypertrophy is the insulin will not be absorbed properly if at all, which is challenging for blood glucose control.
Does insulin expire?
The expiration date of the insulin itself will be printed on the vial or pen. Once opened, the insulin should be labeled and used within 28-30 days. After that time the pen or vial should be discarded even if there is some insulin left.
How should I store my insulin?
Unopened insulin should be stored in the refrigerator. However once opened, it does not have to be refrigerated but you should avoid exposing it to extreme hot or cold temperatures.
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