Learning Center

Diabetes 101 Alternate Site Testing Nutrition Tips Exercise and Diabetes Diabetes and Your Health Diabetes Facts Diabetes Tips Diabetes Glossary

Request FREE Info

Newsletter Signup

Want the best of DCC Connect delivered right to your inbox? Sign up below to receive our monthly newsletter!

Which result should be used to determine how much medication to take if there is a difference between a forearm test and a fingerstick test?

If there is a difference between a result using a sample from the forearm and a result from a fingerstick test, use the result from the fingerstick.

• Under certain conditions, blood glucose test results obtained using samples from the forearm may differ significantly from fingertip samples.
• The conditions in which these differences are most likely to occur are when your blood glucose is changing rapidly, such as during the 2 hour period following a meal, insulin dose or physical exercise.
• When your blood glucose is falling, testing with a fingertip sample may identify a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) level sooner than a test with a forearm sample.

Related Topics

• Why is alternate site testing less painful?
• Using AST Meter - Where can I test?
• When is testing on the finger preferred?
• Testing on the finger is recommended if...
• How would I know if I have hypoglycemia unawareness?
• How do I perform an alternate site test?
• Why are there differences between forearm and fingertip results?
• What is the percentage of difference when comparing results from the forearm to a result from a fingerstick test result?
• Can sample size affect the result?