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Common Testing Mistakes and How to Prevent Them (continued)

MISTAKE #3: Not washing hands before testing.

It’s important to always wash your hands and thoroughly rinse them before getting a blood sample. Food and other residues can cause misleading high meter readings. Even hand lotion or antibacterial sanitizer can affect your results! If you don’t have access to soap and water, lick the finger you’ll be testing and dry it on a piece of cloth (or your shirt, if you’re in a pinch). Avoid using rubbing alcohol, as it dries out the skin and can also provide a false reading if the alcohol ends up mixed in with the blood sample.


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Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 8/08