Instructions for Taking a Sample With a Freestyle Glucose Meter

Most doctors agree that regularly testing your blood sugar levels can play a significant role in how well your diabetes is controlled. Learning to take a blood glucose sample with a Freestyle meter is simple and takes just minutes.

Materials

• Before you can use your Freestyle blood glucose meter, make sure you gather alcohol swabs, Freestyle testing strips, lancets, and an optional lancing device. Do not attempt to use any brand of testing strips other than Freestyle, as they will not be compatible with your blood glucose meter. Also, Freestyle testing strips are single use only. Attempting to reuse a Freestyle testing strip will provide inaccurate results.

Instructions

• When obtaining a blood sample for use with a Freestyle blood glucose meter, you have a number of options for where you obtain the blood sample. Though blood samples for glucose meters are traditionally taken from the sides of your fingertips, the Freestyle glucose meter allows you to obtain samples from the palm of your hand, your upper arm, forearm, thigh, or calf.

  Once you have decided where to take the sample, prepare for the sample collection. A small lancet will be used to pierce your skin so that you can obtain the blood sample. You can twist the cap off the lancet and pierce your skin with it, but this is slightly painful and may be uncomfortable for those who are new to testing their blood sugar. A better way to pierce your skin for the sample is to use a lancing device. A lancing device uses a spring and a lancet to pierce your skin at the touch of a button. It is quick, simple and relatively painless.

  After piercing your skin with the lancet or lancing device, gently squeeze the skin around the puncture to produce a small drop of blood. The drop of blood does not need to be any larger than the head of a straight pin.

  With your blood sample ready, begin to use the Freestyle blood glucose meter. Insert the testing strip into the bottom of the Freestyle meter. The meter will turn on and flash four display screens. When prompted to do so, apply your blood sample to the end of the testing strip that is not in the meter, then wait for your result.

Care and Maintenance

• Proper care and maintenance will help ensure that your Freestyle blood glucose meter continues to function at its best. Keep your Freestyle meter clean, dry and out of extreme temperatures. Should your meter need to be cleaned, wipe it with a soft cloth dampened in a solution of mild soap and water. Do not allow your meter to become immersed in water as immersion may permanently damage the device.

  Besides keeping your meter clean and dry, perform regular control solution tests to ensure that your meter is functioning properly. To perform a control solution test, insert a testing strip into the meter and apply a drop of the included control solution, when prompted, to apply your blood sample. Wait for the result and compare to the acceptable control range printed on the side of the testing strips vial.

  Your Freestyle blood glucose meter is powered by a CR2032 lithium battery. If your meter begins to malfunction, check the battery and change if necessary. CR2032 batteries are inexpensive and available for purchase from your local retail or jewelry store.