Blood Glucose Monitoring

Question 1

signs and symptoms of diabetes

Answer 1

frequent thirst, constant hunger, constant tiredness, dry and itchy skin, passing excessive urine, weight loss despite good appetite, poor healing of cuts and wounds

Question 2

blood glucose < 4 mmol

Answer 2

hypoglycaemia

Question 3

Causes of hypoglycaemia

Answer 3

Delaying / skipping meals , extra exercise without extra food, taking too much insulin, drinking alcohol without taking food

Question 4

Management of Hypoglycaemia

Answer 4

• repeat BGM immediately
• if still , 4 MMOL inform
  staff nurse or doctor
• if not contraindicated, serve dextrose 15g or 30g in less than 100 ml of water according to doctor’s order
• Recheck BGM in 15 mins
• Repeat treatment according to patient’s condition, inform the doctor if the patient remains to be hypoglycemia despite interventions.

Question 5

blood glucose > 15mmol/l

Answer 5

hyperglycaemia

Question 6

causes of hyperglycaemia

Answer 6

• patient missed the dose or taken under-dose of the medication
• under dose of insulin
• do not follow the diet prescribed by dietician or doctor
• have infection which makes body require more insulin
• under stress, which also makes body requires more insulin

Question 7

management of hyperglycemia

Answer 7

• repeat BGM immediately
• inform staff nurse or doctor
• ensure patient rests in bed due to giddiness, drowsiness
• staff nurse or doctor might administer insulin according to patient’s condition
• recheck BGM according to doctor’s order.

Question 8

Why must we prick the finger at the lateral side?

Answer 8

the lateral side of the finger is less sensitive , compared to the fingertips thus the patient will feel less pain

Question 9

why must we calibrate the meter ?

Answer 9

to maintain accuracy of blood glucose level

Question 10

when do we calibrate the meter?

Answer 10

• first time when we use the meter

- each time when we open and use a new box or bottle of blood glucose test strips

Question 11

issues to look out for when facing difficulty in getting an adequate drop of blood

Answer 11

• inaccurate blood drop size
• improper blood collection technique
• use of expired strips
• failure to calibrate strips to the meter
• poorly mantained meter
• failure to follow meter instructions

Question 12

blood glucose levels are affected by ________.

Answer 12

diets

Question 13

why must we check the expiry date of text strip on the individual foil packet ?

Answer 13

expires test strips will produce inaccurate test result

Question 14

why must we assess and select an appropriate puncture site for finger pricking

Answer 14

Sites should have good skin integrity in order to reduce risk of skin infection and promote healing. rotating the finger sites will help decrease callous formation and bruising of fingertips

Question 15

why must we put on gloves

Answer 15

protects the nurse from potential blood contact

Question 16

why must we milk the finger before pricking?

Answer 16

increases the blood flow to the puncture site

Question 17

why must we discard the lancet into the puncture-resistant container immediately?

Answer 17

reduces contamination

Question 18

uncontrolled diabetes can lead to

Answer 18

coronary hear diseases such as angina , heart attack

stroke

eye disease

kidney disease

foot disease such as numbness, ulcers