7
ABOUT ALTERNATIVE SITE TESTING (AST)
Important: There are limitations for doing AST.
Please consult your healthcare professional before you do AST.
What is AST?
Alternative site testing (AST) means
use of body parts other than fingertips
to check their blood glucose levels.
This system allows you to test on the
palm, the forearm, the upper arm, the
calf, or the thigh with the results equiv-
alent to fingertip testing.
What’s the advantage?
Fingertips feel pain more readily be-
cause they are full of nerve endings
(receptors). At other body sites, since
nerve endings are not so condensed,
you will not feel as much pain as at
the fingertip.
When to use AST?
Food, medication, illness, stress and exercise can affect blood glucose
levels. Capillary blood at fingertip reflects these changes faster than capil
-
lary blood at other sites. Therefore when testing blood glucose during or
immediately after meal, physical exercise, or any other event,
take blood
sample from your finger only
.
We strongly recommend you do AST
ONLY
in the following intervals:
In a pre-meal or fasting state (more than 2 hours since the last meal).
Two hours or more after taking insulin.
Two hours or more after exercise.
