For many, diabetes has become the norm. Everyone has an acquaintance who denies himself pleasure, lives by the clock and constantly adjusts his course of action. The main task of people suffering from this disease is to keep blood sugar levels under control. It is not possible in our time to make an analysis without mechanical damage to the skin. Therefore, this article focuses on glucometer needles.
What are glucometer needles
They are also called lancets. These are needles that are used to make a puncture in the skin to extract a drop of body fluid needed to measure blood sugar levels. The sterility of the lancet should not be in doubt, therefore, each piercer, regardless of the manufacturer, has an individual package, the violation of which is immediately noticeable. Glucose meter needles, like test strips, are considered the mostcommon consumables for diabetic patients. The lancet in use is disposable. Some companies, especially insisting on a single use of their products, make needles from special materials that are capable of self-destruction, which does not allow the device to be reused. Such needles are built into automatic blood sampling pens, are expensive, and their availability to the general public is not yet possible.
What are needles
Currently, there are only two main types of glucometer needles.
Automatic - devices in which the needles are replaced as they are used. Very handy when you need to determine the depth of the puncture of the skin. If blood is taken from a child, then the needle is set to the 1st-2nd level, the puncture is shallow, therefore, the procedure is practically painless. This ensures high and fast healing. For an average skin thickness, for example, the finger of an adult woman, level 3 is set. In more complex cases, if the hands are strained and covered with calluses, as is usually the case with a man engaged in physical labor, there are levels 4-5. Each needle in the automatic pen is used only once. There are devices that are loaded with a whole drum of needles.
After use, the lancet either self-destructs or falls into a special container for useless medical instruments. If all the needles are over, then you should change the drum to a new one and continue to use it further. It should be noted that the levelsOnly a doctor can determine the complexity of the puncture, and he should help in acquiring a suitable lancet.
Another group of needles for glucometers are universal. They differ from automatic ones in that they fit almost any type of piercing pen. There are some exceptions. Manufacturers in the instructions, as a rule, indicate for which particular glucometers this lancet is not suitable. For more convenient use of the needle on some universal piercers, you can set the level of the depth of blood sampling, which greatly facilitates the possibility of their use in families where there are patients with diabetes of different ages.
Universal lancets are also disposable, even if only one patient uses them. This is due to the fact that blood is a living medium that begins to die as soon as it leaves the body. It is quite difficult to remove the remnants of the dead biological fluid from the lancet. With repeated use, particles of dead blood, as well as microbes, may enter the body, which is very undesirable for people weakened by the disease. Therefore, only people who are far from medicine can recommend using needles repeatedly until they become blunt.
Frequency of changing needles in the machine
Each knob has its own range. You can learn more about it in the instructions for use. It depends on how many needles the drum is designed for. The frequency of its replacement will depend on the number of uses of the lancing device. One thing to remember is that the needle is used once!
Howreplace needles
How to change a needle in a glucometer, you can read in detail in the instructions for use. The principle of replacement is usually simple, since the devices are intended for private use at home, where there are not always specialists. It is recommended that you carefully study the instructions before the procedure, adjust the pen if it has puncture depth settings, and only then take blood to measure sugar. How to insert a needle into a glucometer and remove it after use, you can see in the video below.
Needle thickness
Pain from a puncture directly depends on the diameter of the needle. It is measured in conventional units called "g". The larger the number next to this letter, the thinner the needle will be. Accordingly, the less pain, which is especially important if blood for sugar is taken from a child. Universal lancets have approximately the same thickness - 28-30g, which does not affect pain too much. Children's ones are thinner, about 36g, besides, their length is also several times less than universal ones. Just as much lancets for small patients differ from universal ones in price. They cost almost twice as much (the price depends not only on the manufacturer, the quantity in the package and the quality of the material, but also on the pharmacy where the lancet is sold. Cheaper needles will be in day pharmacies). If you have the opportunity to visit Europe, you should go to local pharmacies. There, the prices of children's needles are more loyal than in Russia.
Popular blood glucose meters
Today, you can find a huge number of devices for measuring blood sugar on sale. According to many users of these devices, low price does not mean poor quality. Rather, it will mean that of the many features that manufacturers have managed to build into their devices, you will get one or two with some limitations. For example, it is impossible to measure blood sugar levels at too low or high temperatures, there will be no memory or the ability to connect to a computer, as well as the voice of the result of the analysis, popular among older people. Some especially advanced devices have in their functions, in addition to measuring the level of sugar in the blood, the control of cholesterol and hemoglobin. Judging by the same reviews, the accuracy of glucometers is a matter of chance and luck. The most popular firms that give a lifetime warranty on their products are not immune from inaccuracies in their readings. Conversely, simple and cheap ones can serve reliably and for a long time.
Features of glucometers "Satellite"
Most often among the glucometers provided free of charge it is the "Satellite" of various modifications. Unfortunately, one of the special advantages of these devices is the availability of test strips. For the Satellit meter, needles come with test strips and a pen. In the future, you will need to bribe consumables. The number of needles in the package is from 25 to 200 pieces, prices vary depending on the area and pharmacy allowances. This glucometer can also be matcheduniversal lancets. However, it is worth looking at the instructions for the needles for compatibility with the Satellite pens. The accuracy of this device is questionable by users. It is difficult to call him popular.
One Touch Meters
The devices of this company in Russia are represented by several lines. Each of them has its own characteristics both in the configuration and in the measurement of blood sugar levels. Devices complete with test strips and needles can be classified as budget ones. However, consumables, namely One Touch glucometer needles and test strips, are not a cheap option. In addition, these devices have an error, which the manufacturer explains by the fact that the glucometer can analyze not only capillary blood, but also venous blood. However, as doctors themselves note, this indicator is difficult to calculate for a person who is not strong in such algorithms. The advantages include the fact that universal needles are suitable for the piercing pen, which in the end cost 2-3 times cheaper than the original ones. It turns out that the needles for the One Touch Select meter can be bought at a lower price by purchasing a large package of universal lancets.
Glucometer "Kontur TS"
This blood glucose meter is by far the easiest to use. Both an elderly person and a child can master this device. But the most important thing is that there are practically no restrictions for this device. This also applies to the purchase of needles for a glucometer."Contour TS". One has only to take into account the features of the selection of the diameter and depth of the puncture, and you can use any universal tools, in the instructions of which there is no prohibition on working in the "Contour TS" handle. But the needles for the "Kontur" glucometer themselves are not expensive, which allows the use of original lancets. In the reviews, this device is called not only the simplest and most accurate in measuring blood sugar levels, but also the most budgetary.
Glucometer needles on benefits
Unfortunately, this consumable does not apply to the main preferential medical instruments. Most often, even if the glucometer was received free of charge, it is the lancets for the pen that you will have to purchase on your own. Now there are no problems with buying both the devices themselves, where, as a rule, there are both a pen and spare needles in the package, and consumables for them. One has only to remember that by purchasing lancets from legal representatives, you can save a lot and not get counterfeit products in the original packaging. Sites selling these products are becoming more and more popular. It remains only from the great variety of offers to choose what suits you.
