8
3.3 Alternate Site Testing (AST)
You can test your glucose from fingertip, palm or forearm. Taking blood from palm or forearm
could reduce the pain, but the glucose level changes faster. These differences may cause
wrong medical decision.
Note:
Please consult healthcare professional before AST sampling.
Suitable timing to acquire blood sample from alternate sites:
• Routinely before meal.
• Prior or 2 hours after meal/ short-acting or rapid-acting insulin analogue/ exercise.
DO NOT test from alternate sites:
• During or less than 2 hours after meal/ short-acting or rapid-acting insulin analogue/ exercise.
• When you think your glucose level is low or unaware of your low blood glucose condition.
• When you are examined for hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
• Your AST test result does not match your health condition.
• When you are ill, or you are operating machinery or driving a car.
Sampling from an Alternative Site:
1.Repeat the steps 1-7 in Chapter 3.1.(Replace the lancing device tip with adjustable AST tip.)
2.Hold the lancing device against sampling site, and press the release button.
Keep holding the lancing device against sampling site until sufficient sample formed.
3.Then repeat steps 10-15 in Chapter 3.1.
Palm sampling
• No visible veins.
• Away from deep palm prints.
Forearm sampling
• Away from bones, visible
veins and hair.