Allergic Reaction Following Implantation of a Blood Glucose Sensor.

Increasing incidence and onset at a younger age has changed the treatment strategy of diabetes mellitus (DM) towards prevention, delaying the onset, and minimizing disease complications. Self-monitoring blood glucose systems and continuous glucose monitoring systems are routinely preferred in diabetic children.Flash glucose monitoring system has come as an entirely new concept in glucose monitoring by providing much greater data than blood glucose testing while being more affordable than the continuous glucose monitors. The FreeStyle Libre provides ‘flash glucose monitoring’ with glucose readings by scanning a sensor rather than pricking the patient’s finger. The sensor measures interstitial tissue glucose levels every minute via a disposable round sensor with a small catheter inserted under the skin that can be worn for up to 14 days. The entire system’s on-body sensor patch worn on the back of the upper arm is disposable. However, the mild erythema may occur on the skin and disappear spontaneously after 24 hours from the detachment of the sensor. Similar skin lesions were observed in diabetic patients, and there was moderate to severe itching in 0.5% of the cases and moderate erythema in 4% of cases

How to Monitor Blood Glucose

Blood glucose testing provides important information about the effectiveness of the diabetes management plan and assists nurses to monitor the clinical situation and take appropriate action. Nurses should consider the rationale for performing a blood glucose test every time they test a patient’s blood glucose level and commit to acting on the results, including whether the results are abnormal for the patient.

Factors Influencing Adherence to Self-Care Practices Among Diabetes Patients in a Selected Tertiary Hospital, Osun State

Aims: Diabetes is a chronic non-communicable disease with many irreversible complications that can be prevented by strict adherence to self-care practice. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing adherence to self-care practices among diabetes patients Study Design: This study adopted a descriptive research design carried out among diabetes patients attending outpatient endocrinology clinic of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State between July and September 2021. Methodology: Sample size was calculated using Cochran formula and total number of sample used were two hundred and eight (208) diabetes patients. Samples were selected using convenient sampling technique. A self-developed structured Questionnaire on knowledge of diabetes and factors influencing adherence to diabetes self-care practices with reliability index of 0.858 and 0.863 respectively. Two (2) adapted questionnaire; Diabetes self-care practices by Schmitt et al (2013) and Level of adherence to self-care practices scale by Morisky et al. (1986) with reliability index of 0.731 and 0.851 respectively were also used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics of Pearson product moment correlation and regression were used to test stated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results: The result from the study revealed good knowledge of diabetes mellitus and diabetes self-care practices among the respondents. The results also revealed high level of adherence to diabetes medication, diet, physical activity, blood glucose testing, follow-up and foot care. Factors influencing the level of adherence with diabetes self-care practices include cost of treatment, longer year of being diagnosed, good relationship between healthcare team, level of education, good family and social support. There is also a significant relationship between knowledge of diabetes mellitus and adherence with physical activity (r = 0.210; P = 0.02) and blood glucose testing (r = 0.203; P = 0.003). However, there is no significant relationship between knowledge of self-care practices and adherence to self-care practices; socio-demographic characteristics of age (r = -0.040; P = 0.568), education (r = 0.112; P = 0.107) and adherence to self-care practices. Conclusion: The study concluded that there was high level of knowledge about diabetes and diabetes self-care practices as well as adherence to diabetes self-care practices, therefore, health care providers should continue to monitor self-care practices among diabetes patients to achieve positive health outcome and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes mellitus.

Effects of Simulated Adverse Environmental Conditions Related to Actual Conditions at Health Promoting Hospitals on the Performance of Blood Glucose Testing by Glucose Meters

Background: Annual peaks in temperature and humidity exceed manufacturers’ specifications for blood glucose test strip storage in Thailand. Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) do not always provide the same level of health services that hospitals do since they often only turn on air-conditioning units during working hours. Methods: The blood glucose testing performance of 4 glucose meters were investigated for short and long terms stress at 5 simulated conditions. Temperature and relative humidity (RH) at 5 HPHs in different regions of Thailand were monitored for 9 weeks during April to July 2019. The use of air conditioning in storage rooms for storing test strips was surveyed at 131 HPHs using questionnaires. Results: Median-paired differences of glucose measurements with stressed test strips in 5 simulated conditions significantly differed ( P < 0.05) both in the short term (3 days) and in the long term (30 days) with 4 glucose meters when compared to unstressed test strips. The average temperature of all HPHs exceeded 30°C (86°F). The average RH was 84%. There was only one HPH that occasionally turned on its air conditioners. Most HPHs kept both opened and unopened vials of test strips in rooms without air conditioners. Further, 21.4-32.0% of HPHs kept test strips at room with air conditioners. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for poor performance of blood glucose testing by glucose meters that are affected by adverse environmental conditions. The environmental for test strips storage at HPHs should be considered to prevent analytical errors of glucose measurement.

Comparison of the accuracy of measuring blood glucose in whole blood of arteriovenous mixed blood by two kinds of blood glucose meters

BACKGROUND: Portable blood glucose meters are the main method for detecting the blood glucose status of clinical patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of detecting blood glucose in haemodialysis patients by sampling two blood glucose meters through the haemodialysis line. METHODS: Convenient sampling was used to select 80 patients with maintenance haemodialysis. The patients were sampled through the arterial end of the haemodialysis line within three minutes of being put on the machine. One specimen was tested by glycemeter1, which can identify the type of blood in the arteries and veins, and glycemeter2, which can only detect blood glucose in the capillaries for bedside blood glucose testing. The other specimen was sent to the laboratory biochemical analyser for blood glucose testing. RESULTS: When the blood glucose value of the first blood glucose meter (No. 1) was compared with the laboratory biochemical analyser, the correlation coefficient was r = 0.805 (p < 0.05), the out of value of the first blood glucose meter accounted for 4.4%, and the consistency reached 95% (p < 0.05). When the blood glucose value of the second blood glucose meter (No. 2) was compared with the laboratory biochemical analyser, the correlation coefficient was r = 0.800 (p < 0.05), the out of value of the second blood glucose meter accounted for 4.4%, and the consistency reached 95% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with maintenance haemodialysis, the blood glucose values detected by the two bedside blood glucose meters using arteriovenous mixed blood in the pipeline do not affect the accuracy and can respond more realistically.

Self-Care Practices Among Adult Type 2 Diabetes Patients With and Without Peripheral Neuropathy: A Cross-Sectional Study at Tertiary Healthcare Settings in Ethiopia

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) has become a global health challenge. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the common comorbidities of T2D that may affect the ability to perform diabetes self-care. Purpose To compare self-care practices between adult T2D patients with and without comorbid DPN and identify factors predicting self-care practices. Methods In this cross-sectional study, conducted at tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia, a total of 216 (108 with DNP and 108 without DNP) participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire including measures of diabetes self-care practices, self-evaluated peripheral neuropathy, self-efficacy, diabetes knowledge, and social support. Results Adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN had lower dietary (P< 0.001), exercise (P< 0.001), blood glucose testing (P = 0.001), and foot (P = 0.007) self-care practice than those without DPN. Social support is a significant predictor of dietary self-care in both groups while predicting foot self-care and blood glucose testing in those with comorbid DPN. Moreover, occupation, education, and having a glucometer are significant predictors of diabetes self-care practice in both groups. Conclusion This study found that adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN have poorer diabetes self-care practice than those without comorbid DPN. Interventions should focus on addressing social support and access to a glucometer in order to improve diabetes self-care practices in adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN.

Investigating the Factors affecting the Self-care Behaviors Status of Patients with Type II diabetes and the Role of Demographic Variables: A Case Study in Iran

Background: Self-care practices in diabetes patients are crucial to keep the illness under control and prevent complications. Effective management of diabetes will be a difficult task without an adequate understanding of the current level of practice related to diabetes self-care. Therefore, this study aims to assess the factors affecting the self-care behaviors status of patients with Type II diabetes and the role of demographic variables in Iran. Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study that was designed and conducted in 2020. This study's statistical population was type II diabetic patients at the Diabetes Research Center of Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital in Kermanshah who were selected by available sampling method of 280 samples. Data collection tools included demographic characteristics questionnaire and standard self-care questionnaire for the Glasgow and Tobert diabetic patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS-23 software, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and stepwise regression. Results: The mean of self-care scores was 2.07±2.08 and indicated an unfavorable condition. The highest mean scores of self-care were in the field of regular use of medications, and the lowest scores were in the field of blood-glucose testing. The mean scores of self-care were significantly different based on marital status, occupation status, residence, type of treatment, duration of diabetes, years, smoking status (P<0.05). Regression results showed that the variables predictors; type of treatment, smoking status, the complication of diabetes, education level status, place of residence explained 515% of the variance of self-care.Conclusion: The study showed that the extent to which individuals adhere to Type II diabetes recommended management is substantially low. Improving awareness of patients and the community at large is imperative, especially on the diet, exercise, blood-glucose testing, foot care, and no smoking.

Investigating the Factors Affecting the Self-care Behaviors Status of Patients With Type II Diabetes and the Role of Demographic Variables: a Case Study in Iran

Background: Self-care practices in diabetes patients are crucial to keep the illness under control and prevent complications. Effective management of diabetes will be a difficult task without an adequate understanding of the current level of practice related to diabetes self-care. Therefore, this study aims to assess the factors affecting the self-care behaviors status of patients with Type II diabetes and the role of demographic variables in Iran. Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study that was designed and conducted in 2020. This study's statistical population was type II diabetic patients at the Diabetes Research Center of Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital in Kermanshah who were selected by available sampling method of 280 samples. Data collection tools included demographic characteristics questionnaire and standard self-care questionnaire for the Glasgow and Tobert diabetic patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS-23 software, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and stepwise regression.Results: The mean of self-care scores was 2.07±2.08 and indicated an unfavorable condition. The highest mean scores of self-care were in the field of regular use of medications, and the lowest scores were in the field of blood-glucose testing. The mean scores of self-care were significantly different based on marital status, occupation status, residence, type of treatment, duration of diabetes, years, smoking status (P<0.05). Regression results showed that the variables predictors; type of treatment, smoking status, the complication of diabetes, education level status, place of residence explained 515% of the variance of self-care.Conclusion: The study showed that the extent to which individuals adhere to Type II diabetes recommended management is substantially low. Improving awareness of patients and the community at large is imperative, especially on the diet, exercise, blood-glucose testing, foot care, and no smoking.