Monitoring Techniques Flashcards

A pregnant woman with type 1 diabetes asks about CGM use during pregnancy. What is the recommended glucose target range for pregnant women using CGM?

Answer: 63–140 mg/dL for >70% of the time

ADA recommends a tighter CGM target of 63–140 mg/dL for >70% TIR during pregnancy to optimize fetal outcomes.

Which site is generally associated with the SLOWEST glucose absorption, making it least reliable for detecting rapid glucose changes?

Answer: Forearm (alternate site)

Alternate sites such as the forearm have slower capillary glucose equilibration and are unreliable for detecting rapidly changing glucose values.

A glucometer displays an 'HI' reading instead of a numerical value. This typically indicates blood glucose is:

Answer: Above the meter's upper measurement limit (usually >600 mg/dL)

'HI' indicates the glucose exceeds the meter's upper measurement limit, typically >600 mg/dL, and requires immediate clinical evaluation.

What is the primary limitation of the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) report for clinical decision-making?

Answer: It requires at least 14 days of CGM data and does not reflect acute changes in therapy

AGP requires at least 14 days of CGM data to generate a representative 24-hour glucose pattern and reflects past rather than current management.

A patient reports that her CGM repeatedly alarms for hypoglycemia at night but fingerstick readings taken at the alarm show 90–100 mg/dL. The MOST likely explanation is:

Answer: Interstitial glucose lags behind blood glucose during nocturnal glucose recovery

During nocturnal glucose recovery from a low, interstitial glucose lags behind the rising blood glucose, causing the CGM to still read low when blood glucose has already recovered.

Which coding system for blood glucose meters was eliminated in the US to reduce user error?

Answer: Strip lot coding via a code chip or manual entry

Strip lot coding (entering a code for each new vial of strips) was a major source of error; most US meters now use factory calibration to eliminate this step.

What does 'glycemic variability' measurement add beyond HbA1c in assessing diabetes management quality?

Answer: It identifies the magnitude and frequency of glucose excursions that increase oxidative stress and cardiovascular risk

Glycemic variability captures glucose swings that contribute to oxidative stress, hypoglycemia risk, and cardiovascular outcomes beyond what the average reflected by HbA1c reveals.