29
While staying at the lab:
Make sure that the samples for both tests are taken and tested
within 15 minutes of each other.
Wash your hands before obtaining a blood sample.
Never use your meter with blood that has been collected in a gray-
top test tube.
Use fresh capillary or venous blood only.
You may still have a variation from the result because blood glucose
levels can change significantly over short periods of time, especially
if you have recently eaten, exercised, taken medication or
experienced stress*
2
. In addition, if you have eaten recently, the
blood glucose level from a finger prick can be up to 3.9 mmol/L
higher than blood drawn from a vein (venous sample) used for a lab
test*
3
. Therefore, it is best to fast for eight hours before doing
comparison tests. Factors such as the amount of red blood cells in
the blood (a high or low hematocrit) or the loss of body fluid
(dehydration) may also cause a meter result to be different from a
laboratory result.
*2: Surwit, R.S., and Feinglos, M.N.: Diabetes Forecast (1988), April, 49-51.
*3: Sacks, D.B.: “Carbohydrates. “ Burtis, C.A., and Ashwood, E.R.( ed.), Tietz
Textbook of Clinical Chemistry. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company (1994), 959.
SYMBOL INFORMATION
SYMBOL
REFERENT
SYMBOL
REFERENT
In vitro diagnostic
medical device
Batch code
Consult
instructions for use
Manufacturer
Temperature
limitation
Serial number
Use by
Humidity
Limitations
Do not reuse
Caution, consult
accompanying
documents