Diabetic patients are required to properly control their blood sugar on a daily basis.
In the past, a self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) device was used to measure blood sugar levels by pricking a fingertip with a special puncture needle to collect blood.
In recent years, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has been developed, enabling patients to know their blood glucose levels in real time.
1.Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG)
2.Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
CGM is a medical device that supports blood sugar control in diabetic patients.A sensor is attached to the abdomen, etc., and the glucose concentration in subcutaneous interstitial fluid is continuously measured.Measured values are automatically sent to a monitor or a general-purpose smart device such as a smartphone with a dedicated app installed every five minutes, allowing patients to check changes in their glucose concentration in real time.
In addition, it uses a unique algorithm to predict the possibility of hypoglycemia within 20 minutes and informs the patient as an "emergency low risk alert".This function is expected to prevent symptoms such as decreased level of consciousness by responding to high-risk hypoglycemia before it occurs.
3.Patient Stories & Diabetes Certified Nurse Care
When I talked to a patient with type 1 diabetes about CGM,“The development of this has made it very convenient to monitor blood sugar levels frequently and painlessly.Since this was made, I have been measuring it frequently.'I was talking about the situation of self-monitoring with a smile.
Accompanied by a certified diabetes nurse, we observed a scene in which a patient with type XNUMX diabetes was updated to the latest CGM machine.In addition to how to use the equipment, they also helped the patients and their families, such as setting up the dedicated terminal and setting up the download of the application.It was an opportunity to learn that certified nurses in the future (as well as patients) will need people who can flexibly respond to the latest equipment and systems.Thank you for the valuable experience.
Mayumi Iwashita Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences
