washing hands ?

High folks, I have never really done BG tests in the past 45 years but now I have started on DAFNE I am, My question is, what do people use to clean their hands before a BG if you are nowhere near a clean soap and water supply. Do wipes, lotions and gels cause falls readings. Thanks in advance.

If I can't wash in warm water (preferably with soap), I wouldn't use anything, just test and adjust as required. I don't think I've ever been far out using this method, but my hands are normally free from obvious things like soil, oil etc. I don't use cold water as my knuckles tend to split when cold, and I think some of these gels cause me dry skin (others may have different results). If they were very mucky or unable to test, I would take a best guess and inject based on carbs, activity and previous experience.

Welcome to DAFNE and happy testing.

If it's confession time, I must admit that I seldom wash my hands specifically for BG testing.. If I've got dirty hands through gardening etc. or if I get a reading that's wildly different to the expectation than yes (before re-testing), but otherwise no.

I seem to remember being warned on my DAFNE course not to use wet-wipes (but then I also seem to remember being advised to always wash my hands before testing).

Stew

I always have hand sanitising gels on me, and use them. Mainly to avoid bacterial infections, but always to get readings as accurate as possible. I have heard from some people that some brands will raise the reading, so check the contents before buying. I've never had any trouble myself with the brands I have used. I'd tell yu the brands that I use, but I suspect that being in Australia, different brands are available here than in the UK.

I always wash my hands before testing, but if I'm out somewhere where I can't, I use Accu-Chek sterile cleansing hand wipes. They are small and come in foil packs that easily fit in my meter case. They are specifically made for cleansing before finger- pricking. You can get them online at Boots.

For me, hand gel is a good option where there's nothing else. Better that than blood poisoning (or picking up a virus after sucking) or the wacko effects of, say, newsprint on the result.

For 10 years before I did my DAFNE course, I never washed my hands before testing and there didn't seem to be a problem with this. But, before my DAFNE course, my blood sugar readings were all over the place anyway!!! Now I generally just rub my fingers under running water before testing. If there's no water, I use dia-wipes which I found through the DUK site. They are specifically made for this purpose! Here's a link: http://www.funkypumpers.com/dia-wipe/

Hope this helps