Emergency blood sugar remote monitoring system?

Answer by Dr. Albana Greca, MD, MMedSc

Hi Alaima,

An emergency blood sugar remote monitoring system is not only for hospitals. Today, many people with diabetes can monitor glucose at home or while traveling using a glucose meter or a continuous glucose monitor.

What Does Remote Blood Sugar Monitoring Mean?

Remote monitoring means checking blood sugar and sharing the information with the patient, caregiver, family member, or healthcare team. This may help detect high or low blood sugar earlier.

Common options include:

• A home blood glucose meter with test strips


• A continuous glucose monitor, or CGM


• A smartphone app that records readings


• A CGM sharing feature for a caregiver or family member


• A telemedicine plan with the diabetes care team

You may find this helpful: diabetes home testing.

Glucose Meter vs CGM

A glucose meter checks blood sugar from a small drop of blood, usually from the finger. It gives one reading at that moment.

A CGM uses a small sensor under the skin to estimate glucose every few minutes. It can show whether glucose is rising, falling, or staying stable. Some CGMs can send alerts for low or high glucose and may allow sharing with another person.

Even if you use a CGM, your doctor may still advise finger-stick checks in certain situations, such as symptoms that do not match the CGM reading, rapidly changing glucose, or device problems.

Can It Be Used at Home?

Yes. Blood glucose meters are commonly used at home, work, school, and during travel. CGM systems are also used at home by many people with diabetes.

Home monitoring is especially helpful for people who use insulin, have frequent low blood sugar, have very high readings, live alone, are elderly, have children with diabetes, or need closer diabetes follow-up.

How to Convert Glucose Levels

Some countries use mmol/L, while the United States commonly uses mg/dL.

• To convert mmol/L to mg/dL: multiply by 18.


• To convert mg/dL to mmol/L: divide by 18.


• Example: 10 mmol/L is about 180 mg/dL.

Use this tool: convert mmol/L to mg/dL.

What Should Be in a Diabetes Emergency Kit?

A diabetes emergency kit may include:

• Glucose meter, test strips, and lancets


• CGM supplies if used


• Fast-acting carbohydrate for low blood sugar, such as glucose tablets or juice


• Ketone strips if recommended by the doctor


• List of medicines and insulin doses


• Emergency contact numbers


• Glucagon if prescribed for severe low blood sugar

Important: fast-acting insulin should only be used if it is prescribed and the patient has clear instructions. It should not be used casually to “correct” high sugar without a medical plan.

When Is It an Emergency?

Seek urgent medical help for confusion, fainting, seizure, chest pain, breathing difficulty, vomiting, dehydration, severe weakness, moderate or large ketones, or blood sugar that stays very high despite following your diabetes plan.

Read more here: dangerous blood sugar levels.

Related Questions

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• How do I convert mmol/L to mg/dL?


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