For many, diabetes has become the norm. Everyone has a friend who refuses his pleasures, lives by the clock and constantly adjusts his way of doing things. The main task of people suffering from this disease is to control blood sugar levels. To make an analysis without mechanical damage to the skin in our time is not possible. Therefore, this article discusses needles for glucometers.
What are glucometer needles
They are also called lancets. These are needles with which a puncture is made on the skin to extract a drop of biological fluid necessary to determine the level of sugar in the blood. The sterility of the lancet should not be in doubt, therefore, each piercer, regardless of manufacturer, has an individual package, the violation of which is immediately noticeable. Glucometer needles, like test strips, are considered the most common supplies in patients with diabetes. The lancet in use is disposable. Some companies, especially those insisting on a single use of their products, make needles from special materials that can self-destruct, which prevents reuse of the device. Such needles are built into automatic blood collection pens, they are expensive, and their accessibility to the masses is not yet possible.
What are the needles
Currently, there are only two main types of glucose meter needles.
Automatic - devices in which the needles are replaced as they are used. Very convenient when you need to determine the depth of puncture of the skin. If the blood is taken from a child, then the needle is set to 1-2 levels, the puncture is shallow, therefore, the procedure is almost painless. This provides high and quick healing. For 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 for a man engaged in physical labor, there are levels 4-5. Each needle in the automatic handle is used only once. There are devices that are charged with a whole drum with needles.
After use, the lancet either self-destructs or enters 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 only a doctor can determine the difficulty levels of a puncture, and he should help in acquiring a suitable lancet.
Another group of glucometer needles is universal. They differ from automatic ones in that they are suitable for almost any type of piercing pens. There are some exceptions. Manufacturers in the instructions, as a rule, indicate for which particular glucometers this lancet will not work. For more convenient use of the needle on some universal puncturers, you can set the level of depth of blood sampling, which greatly facilitates the possibility of their use in families where there are patients with diabetes mellitus of different ages.
Universal lancets are also disposable, even if only one patient is using them. This is due to the fact that blood is a living medium that begins to die as soon as the body leaves. Removing the remains of dead biological fluid from the lancet is quite difficult. With repeated use, particles of dead blood, as well as microbes, can be ingested into the body, which is very undesirable for people weakened by the disease. Therefore, only people far from medicine can recommend using needles repeatedly before dulling.
Needle change frequency in the machine
Each pen has its own range. You can learn about it in detail from 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 times the piercer is used. One thing to remember is that the needle is used once!
How to replace needles
How to change the needle in the meter can be read in detail in the instructions for use. The replacement principle 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 handle, if it has settings for the depth of puncture, and only then take blood to measure sugar. How to insert the needle into the meter and remove it after use, you can see in the video presented.
Needle thickness
The pain from a puncture directly depends on the diameter of the needle. It is measured in arbitrary units called "g". The larger the number next to this letter, the thinner the needle will be. Accordingly, the pain is less, which is especially important if the child takes blood for sugar. Universal lancets have approximately the same thickness - 28-30g, which does not affect pain too much. Children are thinner, about 36g, and their length is also several times less than universal ones. Lancets for small patients are also very different from universal ones and in price. They cost almost two times more expensive (the price depends not only on the manufacturer, the quantity in the package and the quality of the material, but also on the pharmacy that sells the lancet. Cheaper needles will be in daytime pharmacies). If you can 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, on sale you can find a huge number of devices for measuring blood sugar. According to many users of these devices, a low price does not mean poor quality. Rather, it will mean that out of the many functions that manufacturers have managed to integrate into their devices, you will get one or two with some limitations. For example, you cannot 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 voice overs from the analysis that is popular among older people. Some especially advanced devices have in their functions, in addition to measuring blood sugar levels, control over cholesterol and hemoglobin. Judging by the same reviews, the accuracy of glucometers is a matter of chance and luck. The most popular companies that give an unlimited guarantee on their products are not immune from inaccuracies in their readings. Conversely, simple and cheap can serve reliably and for a long time.
Features of satellite meters
Most often, among the free provided glucometers, there are precisely the “Satellite” of various modifications. Unfortunately, only the availability of test strips can be distinguished from the special advantages of these devices. For the satellite meter, the needles come complete with test strips and a pen. In the future, it will be necessary to bribe consumables. The number of needles in a package is from 25 to 200 pcs., Prices vary depending on the area and pharmacy premiums. You can also pick up universal lancets for this glucometer. However, it is worth looking at the needle instructions for compatibility with the Satellite handles. The accuracy of this unit is in doubt among users. It’s hard to call him popular.
One Touch Glucometers
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. The devices complete with test strips and needles for them can be attributed to the budget. However, consumables, namely the One Touch meter needles and test strips, are not a cheap option. In addition, there is an error in these devices, which the manufacturer explains by the fact that the glucometer can analyze not only capillary blood, but also venous blood. However, as the 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, acquiring a large package of universal lancets.
Glucometer "Contour TS"
This meter in all respects is considered 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 acquisition of needles for the Contour TS glucometer. It is only necessary to take into account the peculiarities of choosing the diameter and depth of the puncture, and you can use any universal tools, the instructions of which do not prohibit working in the "Contour TS" pen. But the Contour glucose meter needles themselves are not expensive, which allows the use of original lancets. In reviews, this device is called not only the simplest and most accurate in measuring blood sugar, but also the most budgetary.
Needle Glucose Meters
Unfortunately, this consumable does not belong to the main preferential medical instruments. Most often, even if the meter was obtained free of charge, it is the lancets for the pen that will have to be purchased independently. Now there is no problem buying both the devices themselves, where the configuration, as a rule, has a pen, spare needles, and consumables for them. One has only to remember that by purchasing lancets from legal representatives, you can save money and not get counterfeit in the original packaging. Sites where they sell these products are becoming increasingly popular. It remains only from a great variety of proposals to choose what suits you.