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Information for Healthcare Professionals
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Healthcare Professionals: Follow the infection control procedures
!
appropriate for your facility.
A drop of fresh, whole blood is required to perform a blood glucose test. Fresh venous,
capillary, arterial, or neonatal blood may be used. Caution should be taken to clear arterial
lines before blood is drawn. Caution should be exercised in the interpretation of neonate
blood glucose values below 50 mg/dL. Blood glucose determination with venous or arterial
blood must be performed within 30 minutes of sample collection. Avoid air bubbles with the
use of pipettes. Fresh venous blood specimens containing the anticoagulants EDTA or
heparin are acceptable. Iodoacetate or fluoride/oxalate are not recommended.
Decisions about whether to recommend alternative site testing (AST) should take into
account the motivation and knowledge level of the patient and his or her ability to
understand the considerations relative to diabetes and AST. If you are considering
recommending AST for your patients, you need to understand that there is a potential for a
significant difference between fingertip/palm and alternative site blood glucose test results.
The difference in capillary bed concentration and blood perfusion throughout the body can
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