Soo I have let about 3 people use my BG meter and have just been very careful about changing out the lancet/needle everytime. But last night I was reading in "The John Hopkinds Guide to Diabetes" book that you should NEVER share your meter with anyone because microscopic amounts of blood end up on every meter and infectious diseases like AIDS, hepatitis, etc. can survive on the surface of the meter. Okay..WOW! I did NOT know that...know I'm feelin a little freaked out by this. Anyone else have any thoughts? Anyone else share their meters??
Yeah… I think that’s a little alarmist, and far fetched. If you’re concerned, just lightly wipe your meter down, or something, with a warm moist cloth with a little soap, and your lancing device, and you’ll be ok. I share my meter with my friends, and people I know, if they need it (which they rarely ever do). I’d probably use it with a stranger, if it was an emergency. You can carry disinfecting wipe packets with you, too, I guess.
That’s what I was thinking…I do not even know where the supposed “microscopic blood” could even be on the meter, I thought only on the test strip and lancet. Thanks!
I never drip blood on my meter. That warning seems overly cautious.
Even with microscopic droplets of blood somewhere on the meter, with a new lancet it would be difficult to get infected. Most infectious diseases (the ones listed) don’t live long outside the host body.
I think that’s a little bit over the top. Letting someone else use your meter isn’t a very likely source of infection. If you aren’t sharing the lancet, you should be pretty safe. AIDS cannot be contracted by casual contact – there has to be an exchange of bodily fluids. Hepatitis is more likely contracted through not changing the lancet. Typically you apply the blood to the test strip and then remove the test strip when the test is completed. I wonder when they wrote that manual?
The likelihood of disease transmission via a BG meter is very, very small. I mean, it’s theoretically possible, but I think it’s so small as to be something you don’t really need to worry about. You’re more likely to get hit by lightning… or win the lottery… and if you do, you can help the Diabetes Hands Foundation reach its goal, LOL
Wear gloves in public restrooms also & be careful in hotel bathrooms. Someone could have cut themselves shaving & there could be microscopic blood everywhere:) I don’t even want to discuss what goes on in restaurant kitchens.
lol yeah that’s pretty much what I was thinking when I was reading the statement in my book.
I share my meter all the time and I would not worry about this.
My main worry when sharing my meter is to remember that those readings were not mine when I write my BG logs!