Testing b/g in arm not fingers

[Margaret O]

When my DS was diagnosed in 2003 at the age of 13, the first thing that we were aware of was the finger stick. My son also has a blood disorder and has had many finger sticks since he was 8. Of course Pat was dead set against any more. The nurse in the hospital said that he could always test in his arm and that seemed to make our transition into diabetes management much smoother. Since then he has always tested in his arm except when he went to Joslin camp.

The nurses at the endo office prefer finger sticks but support him using his arm. Is there a big difference to the acurracy of the numbers? I notice most on this forum talk about finger sticks. I doubt I could get him to change now, but am interested in whether there is much variation to the results.

[Heather(CA)]

When my DS was diagnosed in 2003 at the age of 13, the first thing that we were aware of was the finger stick. My son also has a blood disorder and has had many finger sticks since he was 8. Of course Pat was dead set against any more. The nurse in the hospital said that he could always test in his arm and that seemed to make our transition into diabetes management much smoother. Since then he has always tested in his arm except when he went to Joslin camp.

The nurses at the endo office prefer finger sticks but support him using his arm. Is there a big difference to the acurracy of the numbers? I notice most on this forum talk about finger sticks. I doubt I could get him to change now, but am interested in whether there is much variation to the results.

Seth tests his arm a lot too, he tests his finger it he feels low. After he's treated however I let him test his arm, because if he's high enough there, then his finger would be good too. If he's still low, we retest his finger. The finger is more accurate time wise...I think the arm lags behind a little. Test both places and see how accurate it is. The arm is fine most of the time, but there is a time when the finger is better...;)

By the way, your thread would probably get a lot more responses in the parents room.

[Sarah Maddie's Mom]

Our daughter , she'd 9, dx @4, will not test on her fingers. Her memories of the hospital sticks are just to strong and we were not advised of the difference between arm/finger #s untill long after dx. By then she was pretty adjusted and accepting of D routine and I didn't push her to change - in hindsight I should have. Given all that I am researching the Pelikan Sun lancing device, it is said not to hurt finger tips. Hoping that a change in the mechanics of testing might make it easier to accept this change that I really want to implement. Our story, so far....:rolleyes:

[momofsingingdiabetic]

Danielle refuses to let the hospital test her blood. We were in there over Labor Day weekend and she used her own lancet (Multiclix). She still has a scar from almost 2 years ago when she was dx'd from the hospital lancet.

[3js]

We want to test in the arm, but the 2 meters we have used seem to not be great for that. Are there some that are good for that? We use Accucheck compact and used to use the freestyle mini.

[Lorraine]

We have always tested the arm and I have never had an issue with his management as a result. If we suspect a low, we will test the fingers - I am told that the finger blood in 10 minutes more current than arm blood. But if we get a low result from the arm, we treat that and do not confirm through a finger check - never a problem.

I also check his toes at night-time - just an attempt to preserve his fingers for the years of pricks ahead of him...

Lorraine

[Heather(CA)]

We want to test in the arm, but the 2 meters we have used seem to not be great for that. Are there some that are good for that? We use Accucheck compact and used to use the freestyle mini.

The Freesylyle flash, or the new Freestyle lite are both good for testing arms:D

[miss_behave]

I used to test on my arm, but then I started looking like a junkie with all the needle marks on my arm :eek: :p

[wiccanshadows89]

the numers for arm testing are pretty accurate for me...i prefer finger testing though