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DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-993146
© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York
Painless Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose at Finger Sites
Publication History
received 16.07.2007
first decision 25.09.2007
accepted 25.10.2007
Publication Date:
10 December 2007 (online)
Abstract
Introduction: Skin punctures at alternative sites can reduce the pain associated with self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). However, delays in detection of blood glucose at alternative sites during rapid systemic blood glucose change have been reported. Accordingly, we developed a novel method of finger pricking and tested it to see if it would both reduce or eliminate pain and accurately reflect systemic glucose levels, even during rapid changes.
Methods: Each of 35 healthy volunteers (10 females and 25 males; mean age 36.6 years, range 18-82 years) received 5 serial punctures from a lancet device on randomly selected fingers. The puncture target was the dorsal side of the finger between the nail and the distal finger joint. We used a lancet device designed for accurate punctures of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 mm depths. Immediately afterward, as a control, a conventional fingertip puncture was done on the front of a 6th finger. After each puncture, subjects were asked whether or not they felt pain.
Results: Following punctures at depths of 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm, respectively, 31 of 35 subjects (89%) and 33 of 35 subjects (94%) felt no pain. Following conventional punctures, all 35 subjects (100%) felt pain. Blood sample volumes≥2μL were obtained in all cases except for two punctures at 0.2 mm depth. Blood glucose levels did not differ with differing puncture sites, (conventional fingertip sites vs. alternative sites used in this study).
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that 0.2 and 0.3 mm punctures at our alternative finger site - the dorsal side of the finger between the nail and the distal finger joint - can provide blood samples sufficient for SMBG, substantially redu-ces the proportion of subjects who experience pain, and accurately reflects systemic glucose levels.
Key words
finger back - painless puncture - self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG)
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Correspondence
T. Nakayama
Department of Health Education
Graduate School of Health Sciences
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
1-5-45 Yushima
Bunkyo-ku
113-8510 Tokyo
Japan
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