One Touch Ultra Instructions

If your doctor diagnoses you with diabetes, taking regular blood sugar readings will become a way of life. The process of using a OneTouch Ultra blood glucose meter may seem overwhelming at first, but after following the procedure several times, it will become second nature. After learning how to use the OneTouch Ultra, be sure to follow your doctor's guidelines regarding when and how often you should check your blood sugar levels.

Things You'll Need

• OneTouch Ultra blood glucose meter
• OneTouch Ultra blood glucose testing strips
• Lancing device and appropriate lancets

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Instructions

• 1

  Turn on your glucose meter and verify that all elements of the display are correct. Check to make sure that the time and date are correct. Finally, check that the unit of measurement appearing on the display screen is mg/dL, which is the appropriate measurement for blood glucose in the United States.

• 2

  Locate the contact bars on your OneTouch Ultra testing strip, and insert this end of the strip--contact bars facing up--as far as it will go into the meter. Do this gently, as you want to avoid bending the strip. You will notice that a code appears on the meter display. Compare the code on the display to the code notated on the side of your test-strip vial to confirm that they match. The two codes should be identical. If not, simply press the "C" button at the right bottom of the meter to advance the display code until it matches that on the test-strip vial. For accurate measurement, it is important that the two codes match before you move on to the next step.

• 3

  Insert a new, sterile lancet into the lancing device you are using, and set the device to a comfortable puncture depth. Cock the lancing device by sliding the control lever back until it clicks. After washing and drying your hands thoroughly, place the end of the lancing device against the side of your finger, and depress the button to release the lancet. It is acceptable to gently massage the puncture site until a round bead of blood forms. Holding the meter, touch the testing end of the inserted test strip on the drop of blood. The strip should readily absorb the blood and begin measuring your glucose level.

• 4

  Read your blood glucose measurement from your meter's display. The meter will automatically save the reading, as it is equipped to store up to 150 past readings in its memory. After you are finished testing, remove the test strip from the meter, and dispose of it properly. Also, remove the used lancet from the lancing device so that it will be ready for your next test. Finally, dispose of the lancet in an appropriate manner.