In the last month or two you may have noticed people's FB status updates stating "Strip Safely". While I know some of you went there...in the gutter...with thoughts of stripper safety this Strip Safely is about diabetes! It's about the blood glucose strip that you or your love one uses to receive their blood glucose reading.
For those of you who read this blog and don't deal with diabetes daily a blood glucose meter is a hand held device that you insert a little test strip in. You poke your finger with a lancing device; apply the drop of blood to the strip and wait 5 seconds for a blood glucose reading.
So what's up with the new campaign? (You can read about it here.)
It's about safe, ACCURATE, glucose readings.
Did you know the FDA allows a +/- 20% variance in accuracy? What does this mean? Imagine a thermometer. You insert the thermometer to get an accurate temperature reading. If it reads over 100 you will most likely take some Tylenol, drink fluids and apply a cool compress. If it reads over 103+ you are calling your Doctor with a possible ER visit. IF the FDA allowed a +/- percentage variance with thermometers how would you know how and when to treat a fever? If 103 isn't really 103 how do you know what to do and if you should call a professional?
In comes the test strips. On average diabetics take their blood sugar 6-8 times a day...that's AVERAGE. There are days we test 6-8 times in the span of an hour. Diabetics look at this blood glucose reading and determine how they will treat that number. If it reads a 50, that's low, you will treat with a fast acting carbohydrate. If it reads between 80-120 your golden...you do nothing. And if it reads above 120 you will administer insulin to bring your glucose down.
Now, throw in the fact there is a +/-20% variance. Prime example: last night I was up most of the night battling low blood sugars with Nora. At 10pm she was 120 with no active insulin. This is PERFECT! Just an hour and a half later her MySentry is reading an 82. This is NOT good for Nora. I go upstairs to test and find she is actually in the mid 60's (I know...that's another post for a different day!!) So I give her a juice and set a temp basal (this reduces the amount of ongoing insulin she receives). I go back downstairs and watch the MySentry. It hoovers at 62. I recheck in 15 minutes to find her blood glucose has not budged. It goes on like this for a good hour. Checking, drinking juice, more temp basals, hoovering, checking, juice, slowly creeping up. Finally she reaches 124 set a temp basal and I'm feeling confident she will make it through to the 3am check. Glorious (you can hear the sarcasm dripping as you read that, right?) 3am check comes and she is back down in the 80's!! Repeat above steps. First day of school today and we are up at 6am! I look at the MySentry and it reads 82. Throw some blueberry muffins in the oven and go to check on her and wake her up. Again, 62!!!! Ugh!!
The reason I'm giving you this blow by blow description of how diabetes worked last night is this...since there is an allowable 20% variance in test strips, is a reading of 62 really 62 or is it a 74 or worse...a 50!!! See what I mean? That's a big difference when you are treating a low or even treating a high.
How are we as caregivers, or even as diabetics, be held accountable for diabetes management if there is such a variance? Because I can tell you I would treat a glucose of 74 different than I would a 50. Yet our Endo's are looking at us and wondering why we aren't "controlling" diabetes!
This is how you can help. Make your voice be heard. Write your Congressmen. Let them know this IS important and why. Urge them to send their Health Aides to the Diabetes Technology Society Meeting September 9th. Heck, if your savvy enough...tweet your Congressmen! Here is the link to send your tweet.
You can also join in a twitter-in tonight, Wednesday, 8/21, at 8pm EST. Educate and Advocate. It's up to us to tell Congress we need to Strip Safely!
