9.4 Summary

Blood glucose monitoring is an important procedure that allows people with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose level and manage their condition. Each blood glucose monitor is slightly different, and it is essential that you read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for each monitor you are using.

When working with patients with diabetes, it is also important to be able to recognize and manage patients with hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.

Suggested Online Resources

1. Accu-Chek. (n.d.). How to test your blood sugar. Retrieved from https://www.accu-chek.com/management-tips/how-test-your-blood-sugar.
2. Canadian Diabetes Association: Clinical practice guidelines. Organization of diabetes care.  This resource covers the prevention and management of diabetes in Canada. It was developed under the auspices of the Clinical and Scientific Section of the Canadian Diabetes Association in 2013.
3. Canadian Diabetes Association: Diabetes. This fact sheet outlines the risk factors, symptoms, treatments, and other important information for patients.
4. Canadian Diabetes Association: Diabetes Toolkit. This website provides a number of resources to provide information about many diabetes related topics.
5. Registered Nurses Association of Ontaio (RNAO): Reducing Foot Complications for People with Diabetes. This clinical guideline focuses on best practices to help practitioners reduce foot complications for patients with diabetes. The information included in this resource: how to conduct a risk assessment of foot ulcers, basic education for patients, and appropriate interventions.

References

Accu-Chek. (n.d.). How to test your blood sugar. Retrieved from https://www.accu-chek.com/management-tips/how-test-your-blood-sugar.

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). (2015). In, NURS 2020: Clinical techniques. Vancouver, BC: BCIT.

Canadian Diabetes Association. (2013). Canadian diabetes association clinical practice guidelines expert committee. Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes in Canada. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 37(1), S1-S212.

Canadian Diabetes Association. (2018). Clinical practice guidelines. Retrieved from http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/cpg/chapter9#sec2.

Dagogo-Jack, S., & Alberti, K. G. (2002). Management of diabetes mellitus in surgical patients. Diabetes Spectrum, 15(1), 44-48.

Hortensius, J., Slingerland, R. J., Kleefstra, N., Logtenberg, S. J. J., Groenier, K. H., Houweling, S. T., & Bilo, H. J. G. (2011). Self-monitoring of blood glucose: The use of the first or the second drop of blood. Diabetes Care, 34(3), 556-560.

Kaiser Permanente. (n.d.). Living well with diabetes: How to use your blood glucose meter. Retrieved from https://provider.ghc.org/open/caringForOurMembers/patientHealthEducation/conditionsDiseases/diabetes/bloodGlucoseMeter.pdf.

Mertin, S., Sawatzky, J., Diehl-Jones, W., & Lee, T. (2007). Roadblock to recovery: The surgical stress response. Dynamics, 18(1), 14-22.

Pagana, K., & Pagana, T. (2011). Mosby’s diagnostic and laboratory test reference (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.

Pardalis, D. (2005). Diabetes: Treatment of hyper- and hypoglycemia. Tech Talk CE. Retrieved from http://www.canadianhealthcarenetwork.ca/files/2009/10/TTCE_Sept05_Eng.pdf.

Perry, A., Potter, P., & Ostendorf, W. (2014). Clinical nursing skills and techniques (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier-Mosby.

Perry, A., Potter, P., & Ostendorf, W. (2018). Clinical nursing skills and techniques (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier-Mosby.

Pickering, D., & Marsden, J. (2014). How to measure blood glucose. Community Eye Health, 27(87), 56-57. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4322747/.

Rowe, B. H., Singh, M., Villa-Roel, C., Leiter, L. A., Hramiak, I., Edmonds, M. L., … Campbell, S. (2015). Acute management and outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus presenting to Canadian emergency departments with hypoglycemia. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 39(1), 55-64. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2014.04.001.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). (2009). Hypoglycemia algorithm. Vancouver: Vancouver Coastal Health.

VCH & PHC Professional Practice. (2013). Capillary blood glucose monitoring using the Accu-Chek blood glucose meter. Vancouver: Vancouver Coastal Health & Providence Health Care.

Weiss Behrend, S., Kelley, K., & Randoloph, S. (2004). Measuring blood-glucose levels. In G. Altman (Ed.), Delmar’s fundamental and advanced nursing skills (2nd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.