I want guidance with where to put blood on this strip and then how to insert it into this glucometer. Just help me with that. And also give me some guidance on pricking. The patient's skin is very thick, so I'm finding it a bit hard to prick the blood.
I can clearly see what you have:
- Strip: An Accu-Chek Instant test strip (shown front and back)
- Meter: An Accu-Chek Instant glucometer
- Lancing device: An Accu-Chek Safe-T-Pro (the black pen-like device)
1. Where to Apply Blood on the Strip
Looking at your strip photos:
- Photo 1 (front) shows the circuit/electrode end at the top — this is the end that goes into the meter
- Photo 2 (back) shows the plain white end — this is the blood application end (the tip at the bottom of the white surface)
Apply blood to the very tip of the white end — the short edge at the bottom of the strip. The strip uses capillary action, so you just touch the tip to the blood drop and it draws it in automatically. Do not place blood on top of the strip or on the electrode end.
2. How to Insert the Strip into the Meter
Looking at your Accu-Chek Instant:
- The slot is at the bottom of the meter (visible in your third photo — the dark opening at the base)
- Insert the strip with the gold/electrode end (the circuit-printed end) going in first
- The meter will turn on automatically once the strip is inserted — no need to press any button
- The screen will show a blood drop symbol when it's ready for sample
3. Pricking Thick Skin — Practical Tips
Since the patient has thick skin and you're finding it difficult:
Adjust the lancing depth:
The Accu-Chek Safe-T-Pro lancer you have (the black device) has a depth dial on it. Turn it to a higher number (deeper penetration) — for thick skin, try setting 3, 4, or 5.
Site preparation:
- Warm the hand first — have the patient hang their arm down for 30 seconds, or apply a warm cloth for 1–2 minutes. This increases blood flow significantly.
- Use the side of the fingertip, not the pad — the sides are less calloused and have better blood supply.
- Avoid the thumb and index finger — the ring finger or middle finger sides are best.
- Ensure the finger is clean and dry before lancing (no alcohol residue, which can affect the reading and blood formation).
Technique:
- Press the lancer firmly against the skin before firing — don't hover. Firm contact ensures the needle reaches full depth.
- After pricking, milk the finger gently from the base toward the tip (don't squeeze the very tip hard, as that can dilute the blood with tissue fluid).
- If the first prick doesn't yield enough blood, re-press around the same site rather than re-pricking.
But will it go as per the first image or the second image?
Image 2 is correct.
In Image 2, the strip is inserted with the plain white end going into the meter — that is wrong in orientation but looking more carefully:
Let me be precise about what I see:
- Image 1: The strip is held with the circuit/printed end facing the meter slot — this is the correct orientation, but it hasn't been inserted yet.
- Image 2: The strip is already inserted into the meter slot, with the plain white end sticking out — this is exactly correct.
So Image 2 shows the correct final result — the gold/circuit end goes in first, and the plain white tip sticks out for blood application. That's exactly how it should look.
To apply blood now:
Touch the very tip of the white end (the short edge sticking out) to your blood drop. Do not place the drop on top — just bring the fingertip blood drop to the tip/edge of the strip and the capillary channel will suck it in automatically. The meter will beep and display the result within about 5 seconds.
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