Capillary blood glucose measurements at lateral and median fingertips in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malang: comparison of pain levels

Abstract

Introduction: Self-monitoring of blood glucose is one of the ways to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is a chronic disease that affects many people. Blood glucose is measured by taking a sample from a capillary blood vessel, such as a finger. To decrease the pain, it is vital to learn more about the exact position of the puncture on the finger. The aims of this study is compare the location of the capillary blood collection at the median and lateral fingertips to the level of pain experienced by patients. Methods: With a sample of 50 participants, the lateral area of the finger and the median finger were separated into two groups. The Visual Analog Scale is the tool used to assess pain (VAS). Results: The lateral group’s mean pain level was low. The median group had the greatest pain scale among 50 responders whose pain level was assessed using the VAS instrument. Based on the Mann-Whitney test results, there were differences in the level of pain in blood glucose in the lateral and median fingers (p = 0.036). Conclusion: The lateral and median fingertips in the capillary blood sample have different levels of pain. Although the location lateral to the fingertip is a less painful site for capillary blood collection than the median fingertip location, it still needs to be validated in bigger clinical trials.