Clean fingers with alcohol swabs?

[DanielleW]

How come we shouldnt clean fingers with alcohol swabs?
Thanks!! :)
Danielle

[ladytaz]

Because it can alter the Blood Glucose reading. I've heard it said that if they alcohol has dried it's ok (?) but I'd just rather not take a chance on messing that up! ;) Also, alcohol can dry out the the skin.

[JasonJayhawk]

You can clean your fingers with alcohol as much as you like! Just make sure it has evaporated off your skin once done.

The reason you should not do it is that your skin will take a beating. You'll have dry skin in the area of the lancing that will be difficult to heal.

If you have no water nearby, and you know your finger is dirty, alcohol is better than nothing.

I rarely wash my hands before testing. After doing it for ten+ times a day, I can't imagine taking a break to wash my hands each time.

[Cyborg]

I was taught to use alcohol wipes to clean my fingers before testing. I do make sure the alcohol dries before poking myself...

[KritterMom]

I very seldom wash my hands before I test. Some people swear by it though.

[Cyborg]

I think it's more important if you are taking bolus insulin.

[someone]

I was taught to use alcohol wipes to clean my fingers before testing. I do make sure the alcohol dries before poking myself...

I was taught to use alcohol as well. After a year of being diagnosed, I got a little lazy and stopped doing it though. In 3 years I haven't had any kind of infection or anything. It shouldn't alter the readings as long as you let it evaporate.

[xMenace]

I was taught to use alcohol wipes to clean my fingers before testing. I do make sure the alcohol dries before poking myself...

I'm curious which of your fingers are not cybernetic.

[EasyType2]

The nurse at my endo's swabs my finger with alchol, then wipes it dry with a dry gauze pad, before sticking. I don't bother unless my fingers are dirty; then I wash them with soap and water.

[Cia Leah]

I was told not to use the alcohol before testing and if I did, to make sure it dried first. I always wash my hands before testing though. Thought you always had to.

Cia Leah
Type 2

[slipperyelm]

Especially in winter I wash in hot water to make it easier to get enough blood and to remove surface contaminants. In 14 years of testing I've never had an infection, yet I never used alcohol.

Years ago I read that the use of alcohol before an injection actually is correlated with more injection site infections, but that the practice is so ingrained in hospitals and clinics that a professional will give an injection without an alcohol swab only in the direst emergency. Patients/clients expect it and would complain of incompetence without it.

Your choice.

[sweetblood]

doesmt alcohol make results LOWER if not evaporated??????????? ive read that in several books...i alvays make sure it evaporates b 4 testing...

[blue_eyed_devil]

i won't do it cause it makes the skin harder... same principle as why you shouldn't swab sub cuts...

ouchies!

[sweetcheeks]

yes it will make your bg level if its not dried

ive done it without knowing before, i use alcohol swabs every single time i do my test, unless im out, i hate to do it without either washing or swabbing, cause i had fruit on my fingers once and my reading was 300's so needless to say, i started buying box's of alcohol swabs after that, because im not always near a restroom


but I always dry my finger with me shirt or let it air dry first

[mzizgayle]

I don't use them since it tends to dry out my skin, which is bad enough as it is

[Cyborg]

I'm curious which of your fingers are not cybernetic.

lol... I'm also guilty of getting lazy and not using them much anymore. Testing about 10 times a day, the pads do get expensive. For some reason I have a hard time getting insurance to cover things like IV Prep, alcohol wipes, and glucose tabs.

I do make sure I have clean fingers before testing. I try to stick with the sides of my thumbs for testing. I've built up callouses and testing is painless most of the time.

[kgm0612]

I don't use them either. Just plain old soap & water for me!

Karen

[Lizzy]

I have never used alcohol before testing and I have tested since home monitors first became available. Nor did I use it when using MDI. I was told years ago that alcohol will make the skin tough. And I very seldom wash my hands when testing. Have never had an infection.

[princesslinda]

I don't use alcohol wipes before sticking as I read it helps cause callousing of the fingers, making sticks more difficult. I often will run my hands under warm water, as it helps me bleed more easily.

[blacklightmike]

I still use them... partly because I'm so immune compromised with multiple chronic illnesses, partly because I work with people whose hygeine is questionable, and mostly because I inherited a case of them from a diabetic Mother-in-law, rest her soul... lancets and swabs for life!

[nneighbour]

Personally I really don't think it's necessary to wash before I test unless my hands are sticky or truely filthy. Chances of getting an infection from such a small cut seem pretty slim, unless of course you are a butcher, mechanic, farmer. Just one person's opinion. Then again, I've been known to lick a stray cat or two...

[blacklightmike]

As I sit here typing this, there are blueprints a foot away from me with a grey layer of spores covering them. This is typical in my shop, we handle a lot of old documents from who knows where, with any number of foreign substances on them. I buy 'germ-x' hand sanitizer by the quart. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Nneighbor, please tell me that's a typo or a euphemism for something else... you 'lick' stray cats? I hope you mean, 'beat them in a fight' ! :D

[panda1076]

I carry a mini purell bottle with me. I use that to clean my hands when I need to. I know it's alcohol based, but purell is not supposed to dry your hands so much. My dermatologist recommended it instead of using soap and water when i had severe hand eczema. it also dries fast.