Diabetic Seniors

Getting a good blood sample is the first step in getting an accurate reading on your diabetes meter. Selecting the right lancet — the device that actually pricks your finger to draw the sample — and lancing device is the first step.

The SurgiLance One-Step and the SurgiLance One-Step Plus’s unique pre-armed capability make them extremely simple to use. They are available with either a needle or blade, each with different depths of penetration, to provide optimal blood flow for various applications and skin types.

Improving Safety and Convenience

SurgiLance Safety Lancets are a major improvement compared to regular lancets. SurgiLance Safety Lancets incorporate the lancing device and the needle into a disposable, single-use unit. According to SurgiLance, the needle is not exposed before or after use, minimizing the risk of needle stick injury and cross-contamination.

Protecting the Caregiver, Too

One-Step blood sampling lancets offer safety for the caregiver and greater comfort for the patient, according to SurgiLance. The needle is safely concealed both before and after the finger is pricked.

How to Lance

Follow these tips from SurgiLance to get a proper blood sample each and every time:

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
2. Rinse your hands and completely dry them.
3. Without touching the area you wish to puncture, massage your finger and hand by stroking down towards the puncture site.
4. Place the SurgiLance lancing device’s adjustable end cap firmly against the puncture site.
5. Without moving the finger you want to puncture or the SurgiLance lancing device, push the device’s blue release button. The more pressure you apply, the deeper the lance will be.
6. Wait a few seconds and then stroke down the finger towards the puncture site to form a drop of blood. Do not squeeze around the puncture site.
7. Apply the drop of blood to a glucose test strip or test sensor, following the instructions that come with your test strips or test sensors.
8. Wipe the puncture site with a dry, clean facial tissue.
9. Put pressure on the puncture site until the bleeding stops.

How to Choose a Lancing Depth

With these tips from SurgiLance, you can ensure the best lancing depth for proper sample size and comfort:

• For soft, delicate skin, choose a shallow depth. For average skin, select a middle depth,  and use a deeper depth for hard or callused skin.
• To make a deeper puncture with your SurgiLance lancing device and get a larger drop of blood, turn the device’s adjustable dial so that the line matches up with a picture of a large blood drop.
• To make a shallower puncture and get a smaller drop of blood, turn the SurgiLance lancing device’s adjustable dial so that the line matches up with a picture of a small blood drop.

SurgiLance and Medicare Coverage

Medicare benefits, insurance coverage and reimbursement can be very confusing. The good news is that SurgiLance diabetes care products are covered by Medicare. If you are receiving Medicare Part B benefits, you can be reimbursed for most of your costs of eligible SurgiLance diabetes care products. This applies whether you use insulin or not.

Tags: diabetes testing supplies, Meters, SurgiLance Diabetic Supplies