Fora MD Control Operator's Manual page 46

working properly.
 Fast for at least eight hours before doing comparison tests, if
possible.
Take your meter with you to the lab.

While staying at the lab:
 Make sure that the samples for both tests are taken within 15
minutes of each other.
 Wash your hands before obtaining a blood sample.
Never use your meter with blood that has been collected in a

gray-top test tube.
 Use fresh whole blood only.
You may still have a variation from the result because blood glucose
levels can change significantly over short periods of time, especially
if you have recently eaten, exercised, taken medication or
experienced stress*
blood glucose level from a finger prick can be up to 70 mg/dL (3.9
mol/L) higher than blood drawn from a vein (venous sample) used for
3
a lab test* . Therefore, it is best to fast for eight hours before doing
comparison tests. Factors such as the amount of red blood cells in
the blood (a high or low hematocrit) or the loss of body fluid
(dehydration) may also cause a meter result to be different from a
laboratory result.
*2 Surwit, R.S., and Feinglos, M.N.: Diabetes Forecast (1988), April, 49-51.
*3 Sacks, D.B.: "Carbohydrates. " Burtis, C.A., and Ashwood, E.R. (ed.), Tietz
Textbook of Clinical Chemistry. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company (1994), 959.
37
2
. In addition, if you have eaten recently, the