Diabetes News:

Patients Prefer New Blood Glucose Measuring Device That Uses Arm Instead of Finger

A new device that patients can use to monitor their blood glucose levels provides accurate results, and virtually all patients find it significantly less painful than finger-stick tests, according to a report in Diabetes Care.

Dr. S. Edwin Fineberg of Indiana University Medical Center reported on tests of the accuracy and use of the Sof-Tact, produced by Abbott Laboratories, in 354 patients who had type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

The handheld automated device, which draws its blood sample from the arm rather than from a finger, applies a small vacuum, lances the skin, transfers blood onto an electrochemical test strip, and measures glucose.

"Sixty percent of the patients reported that arm testing with the automated device was 'painless;' another 31 percent of the patients stated that it was 'much less painful,'and 6 percent of patients considered using the device 'less painful' than finger-stick testing," the researchers said.

They reported that "blood glucose results in samples obtained from the arm with the automated device agreed well with finger-stick plasma glucose results using a reference instrument." Subjects also rated ease of use of the device 5.5 on a scale of one to 6 with 6 representing very easy.

"The automated device is easy to use and provides accurate glucose results; 97 percent of the patients found it less painful than finger-stick testing," the researchers concluded.

Source: Medical Week staff, week of July 29, 2001