drawing blood

[ozbuc]

Please forgive me if this question has been asked before, after the lance pricks your finger do you squeeze blood out? I read in Gretchen Beckers book that this wasnt a good idea because of some fluid that comes out with the blood and gives an inaccurate reading. If I dont squeeze it takes forever to get enough blood to work in my monitor. Any ideas or suggestions?

[shiftzor]

I was told the same thing, but i squeeze the blood out all the time and when i was in hospital back when i was diagnosed all the nurses squeezed the blood out. I dont have time to hang around or i would have to use the lancer on a very painful setting. My results seem to be accurate enough and ive been doing it for about a year :)

[RobiJo]

I squeeze, but usually it doesn't take much more than a little pressure. Back in the "older days" you'd have to slice your finger off in order to get enough blood without squeezing. The samples needed used to be huge compared to the meters out now.

[mho357]

I squeeze - sometimes I have to squeeze more than at other times. Sometimes, I have to stick again because I can't get enough :mad: I don't like that too much...

Mark

[ant hill]

Hey, I have taken warfin in wich thins the blood and I still squeese. :confused: So there is no difference realy. ;)

[Stealthman80]

I have to squeeze or nothing comes out

[princesslinda]

Its funny, sometimes the blood will just "bubble up" and I don't have to squeeze...other times, I have to "milk" my poor fingers to get enough. Might want to try washing your hands in warm water before you stick or hanging them down before sticking....to get all the blood going to the right place...or, try squeezing your finger BEFORE you stick it.

I've also read not to squeeze your fingers after sticking...but you gotta do what it take to get the blood out.

[Evermont]

... warm water before you stick ...

Agreed. I had my heat off one cold morning and got an unusually high reading, then after warm water it was a normal reading.

What I saw was a higher (by 50 points) and I believe erroneous reading when squeezing a drop from a cold finger.

[shabbie6247]

a tiny bit of squeezing is okay i think. just set your lancet a bit deeper if you have to sqeeze it hard to get a tiny bead of blood out.

[KEVIN88GT]

to the original poster..... the fluid you're talking about is SEROUS fluid.... for those that don't understand that would be the clear stuff that comes out of say a pimple...(not the white cloudy puss though) or what forms when you have a burn or a deep cut... Serous fluid WILL give you very inaccurate results (I tried it myself) but getting serous fluid to come out from your capillaries from a finger stick would be VERY difficult..don't worry about it...

[ozbuc]

Thanks to everyone for the replies and answers

[parrotletzoo]

Don't squeeze so hard that the last hole you poked in your finger opens up and squirts blood all over your co-workers face at the lunch table. I've done it! good times....


I milk it. Everytime. ;)

[davef]

Boy am I glad I found this forum yesterday, I am only starting out with monitoring and was having problems getting enough blood as I was avoiding squeezing since the Bayer site says not to do so. I had to resort to squeezing but was worried then that the readings I was getting were wrong.

Thanks to the original poster for asking this question.

David

[ozbuc]

Now adding to my original post, I am now reading DR Bernsteins book where he suggest to prick on the back of the finger instead of the tip. a little harder to get blood sometimes but much less painful.

[KEVIN88GT]

Squeezing the finger or not squeezing wont make a big difference (if you have a quality glucometer)...squeeze if you have to


can you be more elaborate on what the "back" of the finger is?