Introduction of the glucose meter as a tool of self-monitoring of blood glucose for patients from Santos

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Introduction: the introduction of home blood glucose monitoring aimed autonomy for patient self-care, result in reducing the complications of Diabetes mellitus (DM). Objectives: evaluate and analyze the evolution of HbA1c levels in insulin-dependent patients in Santos/SP after the introduction of blood glucose self-monitoring. Methods: through a transversal study with patient forms, it has been selected a sample of 20% of insulin-dependent patients total (160/800 patients) according to age range and sex. Those data was analyzed through the SPSS 15.0 software (SPSS Inc. Chicago-IL) using ANOVA test with repeated measures, comparing the mean values from before the use of the home self-monitoring with the values of tests performed after its introduction, in order to identify reduction or not of the HbA1c patients' values. This study was approved by ethics committees of UNIFESP and by Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Santos. Results: of the 157 used records, with a total of 471 HbA1c values, only five (3.2%) belonged to the range of 21 - 40 years, the range of 41 - 60 years presented with higher population possessing 47 patients (30%) and those over 60 years prevailed in the study with 105 patients listed (66.9%). The HbA1c values presented a statically significant reduction after 6 months from starting use the glucose meter with P < 0.05 (0.014), demonstrating that after six months of glucose meter use, it was noticed the statistic reduction in HbA1c levels. Conclusions: the home self-monitoring of blood glucose, coupled with drug intervention, reduces HbA1c levels in a six-month interval.