Abbott FreeStyle No Coding Blood Glucose Meter, ZipWik Test Strips & Kits

Abbott's FreeStyle Freedom Lite and FreeStyle Lite are two over-the-counter blood glucose meters for people with diabetes who test at home. Neither meter needs coding: there is no code to look up on the strip vial and type into the meter before a test — you insert a FreeStyle Lite test strip, apply the blood, and the meter reads the result. Each test uses only 0.3 microliter (300 nanoliters) of fresh capillary whole blood drawn from the fingertips, the upper arm or the palm. Both meters work with the same FreeStyle Lite test strips, which carry ZipWik tabs that make the blood application easier to aim, and the strips are for these two meters only. The Freedom Lite has the larger numeric display and a larger, comfortable shape, and its battery is good for 1000 tests; the FreeStyle Lite is smaller and portable, adds a display backlight and a test strip port light for testing in low light, and its battery is good for 500 tests.

Key Features and Benefits

• No coding required on either meter — no code to look up and enter before a test
• ZipWik tabs on the FreeStyle Lite test strips for easy blood application and fast uptake
• Only 0.3 microliter (300 nanoliters) of blood per test
• Freedom Lite: large numeric display, ergonomic easy-to-hold design, battery good for 1000 tests
• FreeStyle Lite: small and portable, display backlight and test strip port light, battery good for 500 tests
• Stores 400 results with date and time, and runs on one replaceable CR 2032 battery

Abbott FreeStyle No Coding Blood Glucose Meter, ZipWik Test Strips & Kits Chart

What Your Glucose Number Means

Glucose, or blood sugar, is the sugar in your blood and the main source of energy for your cells; in diabetes it runs too high because the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use it as well as it should. The meter reads a result range of 20 to 500 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Fasting (before eating), the expected glucose level for a non-diabetic, non-pregnant adult is under 100 mg/dL, and two hours after meals, levels should be less than 140 mg/dL; both of those reference figures are for adults without diabetes. For people with diabetes, typical targets are 80 to 130 mg/dL before a meal and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after a meal starts, and a reading below 70 mg/dL is low for many people, with the right target range differing by age and other health problems. A result lower than 60 mg/dL is low and one higher than 240 mg/dL is high; at those two points the booklet says to repeat the test with a new test strip, even if you do not feel that your blood glucose is low or high. If the result still does not fit how you feel, contact your healthcare professional. Your own target range comes from your healthcare professional, who determines the range that is appropriate for you.

When a Reading Can Be Off

• Readings can be false above 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) above sea level — if you live or test at high altitude, ask your doctor before relying on the numbers.
• Readings can be false when the red blood cell level (hematocrit) is very low or very high, outside 15% to 65% — if a doctor has told you your red cell count is low or high, ask whether fingerstick readings can be trusted.
• Readings can be falsely low when oxygen is low (hypoxia).
• Readings may not be true when blood flow to the test site is poor, as with severe dehydration, low blood pressure (hypotension), shock, or peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation).
• Severe dehydration or excessive water loss may cause false low results; if you believe you are suffering from severe dehydration, consult your physician immediately.
• The meter is not for testing critically ill patients — if any of these conditions apply to you, ask a doctor before relying on a reading.

Single Person Use

The system is not for the diagnosis of or screening for diabetes, and it is not for neonatal use. Each meter is intended for single person use and should not be shared: the device must not be used on more than one person including other family members, due to the risk of spreading infection.

Testing Sites, Strips and Meter Care

The FreeStyle Lite test strips are for use with the meter to measure glucose in fresh capillary whole blood from the fingertips, the upper arm and the palm, and alternate site testing on the upper arm or the palm should be done only during steady state times, when blood sugar is not changing rapidly. If you are testing for low blood glucose or you suffer from hypoglycemia unawareness, test on your fingers, not another site. Alternate site testing results should not be used to calibrate continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) or for insulin dose calculations. Use only FreeStyle Lite test strips with these meters — other test strips can produce inaccurate results. Keep the strips closed: the drying agents in the test strip vial may be harmful if inhaled or swallowed and may irritate skin and eyes. And do not use the meter if the display check screen does not exactly match the example in the booklet — contact Customer Care instead.