Jabbed my finger when testing did it mess up the result?

[Sue & Emma]

Doh! Today is the first day of testing and injecting for me, so I made a couple of mistakes this am.

• Did not do a test of the meter with testing solution because I did that last night and AT was fine.
  
• Pricked my finger which was under her ear because I aimed straight down.
  
• And forgot to have a folded paper towel to protect my finger.
• Yep, it caused my finger to bleed a tiny bit.

So Emma was at 451. Yikes! So I put in a new test strip and it read 480! This was within 1 minute. Could I have messed up the test by somehow getting my blood on there? Why 2 different numbers?

I went ahead and fed her and gave her 1 unit of Pryzinc like the vet said. I pulled skin up and gave shot but didn't feel the plunger move. But I think that was just me since it's not a big amount.

Thank you for your help,
Sue

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

You did fine! Unless you filled the strip with your own blood and not Emma's, the test is fine (and if you did, please make an appt with your doctor because your reading is way too high!!!!) All of us have poked ourselves with the lancet, syringe, etc.

The reason for the difference in the two tests is that any meter has roughly 20% error variance. In other words, with any test, the number you see on the meter is plus or minus 20%. With any form of measurement, there is variance. Fundamentally, the 451 and 480 are the same number.

 

[Sue & Emma]

Thank you! It's amazing how much you guys know! It's humbling to be in the presence of such awesomeness.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Gosh If I had a nickle for every misstep I made *we'd* ALL be rich!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Part of the "wealth of knowledge" is that we've been hanging around here forever. I'm a firm believer in paying it forward.