Fingerprick lottery

[Martin62]

After washing my hands I did my pre lunch fingerprick test it came in at 9.2 , didn't expect that so tried a finger on my other hand and that came in at 7.5. So perhaps it's best to try all my fingers and pick the lowest. Just joking on the last statement, but just goes to show the vagaries of results.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Indeed! It’s all too easy to be seduced by the illusion of the decimal points on the screen eh!?

Ask @Docb about his multi-test fingerstick experiment 😱

 

[Docb]

@Martin62 .... no, if you do test all fingers (and thumbs) you don't take the lowest! You calculate the mean value and the standard deviation of the values from the mean and then you can say that your best estimate of the blood glucose measured at your finger tips is the mean value with a 95% confidence interval of +/- two times the standard deviation. At least you do that if you are at all technically minded and are interested in what you can sensibly drive from any reading you make.

If you are not technically minded, then don't fret about the difference between 9.2 and 7.5. My ten finger test results suggests that the difference is unlikely to be statistically significant.

I usually add the caveat that my observations only really apply to T2's but there is some merit in them for T1's like yourself.

The big difference is that a T1's BG might be changing rapidly when compared with a T2 and the time difference between tests might have some importance. Also T1's will have a massive experience of how their BG varies with circumstance and will be able to instinctively judge the significance they can give to any individual reading.

 

[Martin62]

@Martin62 .... no, if you do test all fingers (and thumbs) you don't take the lowest! You calculate the mean value and the standard deviation of the values from the mean and then you can say that your best estimate of the blood glucose measured at your finger tips is the mean value with a 95% confidence interval of +/- two times the standard deviation. At least you do that if you are at all technically minded and are interested in what you can sensibly drive from any reading you make.

If you are not technically minded, then don't fret about the difference between 9.2 and 7.5. My ten finger test results suggests that the difference is unlikely to be statistically significant.

I usually add the caveat that my observations only really apply to T2's but there is some merit in them for T1's like yourself.

The big difference is that a T1's BG might be changing rapidly when compared with a T2 and the time difference between tests might have some importance. Also T1's will have a massive experience of how their BG varies with circumstance and will be able to instinctively judge the significance they can give to any individual reading.

Thanks for explaining that Docb , although I was only jesting when I suggested testing all my fingers .
Martin