B-D has started full marketing of their new Meters. We at Diabetes in Control first received our new Latitude and Logic meters along with the B-D Diabetes Software 2 months ago. After reviewing the meter features and software we gave the units to a new pump patient and an insulin pen user.

Our patients have been using the meters for the past 6 weeks and have been very happy with them.

We gave the Logic to a new pump patient who had been using an older meter with only a 100 reading memory and would lose readings in between visits. The 250 reading capacity in the Logic now allows me to download all his readings taken between visits.

The patient also has been logging his insulin doses in the meter, and because this information is downloadable as well, I found it very easy to adjust his basal and bolus rates.

In a specific instance we were able to identify that his dinner with his neighbor every Sunday afternoon required a totally different carb ratio than the rest of the week. Although this could be done with any meter, the ease at which I was able to access both the insulin and glucose data from the meter and software was great.

We gave the Latitude diabetes management system to a busy real estate agent who has been using an insulin pen. In the past she has often forgotten her insulin pen, her meter or even her lancet device and this had resulted in missed pre-meal Humalog doses, or doses given without testing.

During the 3 months prior to receiving the Latitude she had experienced 4 hypoglycemic episodes due to injections without testing. Since receiving the Latitude she has not had to inject without testing.

The Latitude’s unique design allows her to keep everything “together” in one convenient case and as she says “ it’s big enough for me to remember but fits easily in my purse or briefcase”.

Both of our patients want to continue using the new B-D diabetes management systems and would recommend them to any other patients.

Our pump patient who wears a Minimed Paradigm was excited when I told him that in the future his pump would be able to “talk” to the meter and he would no longer have to enter his insulin dosing or glucose readings manually.

Product Information:

BD Latitude: All-In-One System for insulin pen users
The BD Latitude diabetes management system is a blood glucose monitor that can also hold an insulin pen, 25 test strips, a lancing device and a two-day supply of lancets and pen needles. Everything needed for testing and injecting can be carried in one convenient device. The monitor delivers test results in just 5 seconds. Because it uses a very small blood volume (just 0.3 microliters), people can use a 33-gauge lancet - the thinnest available.

BD Logic: for insulin pump and vial users
The fast, compact BD Logic also delivers 5 second test results. Its 33-gauge lancets allow fingertip testing with 50% less pain than other lancets and lancet devices. It allows the user to manually enter insulin doses and incorporates this information in the software.

Data Collection for Pattern Management
Both meters hold up to 250 blood glucose test results and 250 manually-entered insulin doses and link to BD™ Diabetes Software. The software is fast, downloading 500 data points in just 45 seconds. A useful feature of the software is its unique Blood Sugar and Insulin chart that displays pre-meal and bedtime blood sugar results and insulin doses all on one page.

More information is available at www.BDdiabetes.com.