Getting a Good Drop of Blood
Fingertip
Wash your hands and dry them well. It helps to massage the fingertip to stimulate blood flow.
Gently squeeze your finger at the knuckle, then release, squeeze, then release. This helps to
increase the blood flow. You can let your hand hang by your side to increase blood flow.
Alternative Site Testing (AST)
You have the option of obtaining a blood sample from other
sites on your body besides the fingertip. Blood obtained from
a fingertip or palm, fleshy part of the hand under the thumb
(thenar) and the little finger (hypothenar), can be used at any
time to measure blood glucose. If blood from an alternative
site, forearm, upper arm, thigh, or calf, is used, there are
certain times when testing is not appropriate (see next
section). This is because your glucose level changes quicker
in your fingertip or palm than in the alternative sites. This
difference may cause you to make the wrong therapeutic
decisions producing adverse health effects.
Please read the following section before you try testing
from other sites.
92
thenar
hypothenar