Glucose Testing  Important Information on Alternative Site
Meters from FDA  Some glucose testing meters allow blood sugar
testing from alternative sites, such as the upper arm, forearm,
base of the thumb, and thigh.  Sampling blood from alternative
glucose testing sites may be desirable, but it may have some
limitations. Blood in the fingertips show changes in glucose
levels more quickly than blood in other parts of the body. This
means that alternative site glucose testing results may be
different from fingertip test results not because of the meter's
ability to test accurately, but because the actual glucose
concentration can be different. FDA believes that further
research is needed to better understand these differences in
test values and their possible impact on the health of people
with diabetes.    Recommended labeling precautions include these
statements:    1. Alternative glucose testing site results may
be different than the fingertip when glucose levels are changing
rapidly (e.g. after a meal, taki