Bedside Blood Glucose Monitoring in Hospitals*

The modern management of hospitalized patients with diabetes includes capillary blood glucose determinations at the bedside. This measure is analogous to an additional “vital sign” for people with diabetes. The rapidity with which results can be obtained, and therapeutic decisions made, can improve management and conceivably shorten hospital stays. Replacing venipunctures with finger punctures enhances patient comfort. Bedside glucose determinations can be performed by adequately trained personnel. Use of bedside blood glucose monitoring requires 1) clear administrative responsibility for the procedure, 2) a well-defined policy/procedure manual, 3) a training program for those personnel doing the testing, 4) quality control procedures, and 5) regularly scheduled equipment maintenance. The essential elements of a bedside glucose monitoring program have been outlined in a published guideline (1).