Hypoglycemia Detection Rate Differs Among Blood Glucose Monitoring Sites
- Shu Meguro, MD, PHD,
- Osamu Funae, MD,
- Kazuhiro Hosokawa, MD, PHD and
- Yoshihito Atsumi, MD
- From Saiseikai Central Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Shu Meguro, MD, PhD, Saiseikai Central Hospital, 1-4-17, Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. E-mail: shumeg1580083{at}yahoo.co.jp
To achieve better glycemic control, self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) plays an important role in diabetes management. Although fingertip capillary blood has been used for SMBG, alternative-site blood glucose testing (i.e., from the forearm or the palm of the hand) has been developed because patients have requested less painful measurement techniques. However, there has been debate about blood glucose equivalence at alternative sites because some reports suggest that glucose monitoring at the forearm shows a delayed value if blood glucose changes rapidly (1,2). One study reported that blood glucose measurement at the palm is not delayed compared with fingertip measurement after a test meal and exercise load (3). Another study reported that palm blood glucose is comparable to fingertip blood glucose in acute hypoglycemia (4). Since there has been no research comparing blood glucose values simultaneously at the fingertip, forearm, and palm of the hand in …
