Diagnosis
Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The bodies of patients with diabetes have difficulty controlling the level of glucose in their blood. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose. Glucose is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin’s role is to bring the sugar from the blood into the cells. If there is a problem with insulin in the body, glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells; this can lead to diabetes complications. Patients with Type 1 diabetes do not have the ability to produce insulin. Patients with Type 2 diabetes cannot produce enough insulin or the body ignores the insulin produced.
Medical device monitoring system
A blood glucose monitor helps a patient with diabetes measure their blood glucose levels as a routine part of their day so that they know how much insulin they need to take or how much they need to eat in order to keep their levels in the normal range.
How it works:
Blood glucose monitors work in several ways, but they all measure the same thing: the amount of glucose in the blood at that given point in time. The monitor will display a number indicating the amount of glucose in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). A normal range before meals is 70-130mg/dL and after meals is less than 180mg/dL. If the numbers fall outside of this range, the patient will need to take action. Hypoglycemia is low blood glucose and the patient will need to eat something to bring up the levels of blood glucose. Hyperglycemia is high blood glucose and the patient will need additional insulin to bring the levels back to normal range.
To take a blood glucose test, blood is generally taken with a small lancet from the finger. The tiny blood drop is collected onto a test strip that has been inserted into the glucose monitor. The test strip has an enzyme that causes a reaction with glucose. In this reaction, electrons are transferred in the reaction and the electrical current is read by the monitor and displayed as a number. Another way a glucose monitor can work is by photometric detection. A specific wavelength of light is directed onto the test strip, the amount of reflected light is indicative of the concentration of glucose in the blood.
The number given by the monitor can be used by the patient and doctors to monitor blood glucose levels throughout the day and can help adjust treatment as needed.