What is Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Procedure?
The continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) procedure
includes wearable device that helps to track your glucose continuously over
next 7 days. For CGM procedure, the continuous glucose monitoring system is
connected in the office, you wear it for 7 days in your usual environment,
track your food and medication, and then bring in all your data and CGM system
back to the clinic for analysis, discussion with you and treatment decisions.
How does CGM system work?
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a small wearable device
that tracks your glucose automatically day and night every 5 minutes. If
desired, the CGM system can give you a notice when your glucose is trending low
or high. As such, CGM gives real-time glucose reading on-demand – you can see
anytime your current glucose level. In addition, your CGM memory is uploaded
when you return the CGM clinic to the clinic, and your physician can review the
data to inform about medication action and other factors that may affect your
glucose levels and changes.
What are the parts of CGM device?
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system consists of three
parts:
- Small
sensor: a discrete sensor located just beneath the skin, it measures your
glucose levels.
- Transmitter:
gathers glucose measurement data and sends glucose data wirelessly to your
receiver.
- Receiver:
displays for your view glucose number, arrows indicating whether glucose
is going up, down or staying steady, and the dotted line graph of your
glucose changes over past few hours.
- Review: CGM is uploaded and then reviewed by the diabetes team with the patient.
Once you return
the CGM system to the clinic the glucose levels are uploaded to the computer
software and your doctor can view all seven days of glucose changes. The
glucose levels are displayed on easy to read graphs. This is where your diary
comes handy – we can look back and see how your body responds to food and
diabetes medication, if and when your glucose goes high or low.
This describes the CGM procedure. However, your diabetes treatment
team may recommend your own personal CGM device.
If you have a personal device, please bring at least 1-2 week
diary to every visit with your diabetes doctor or diabetes educator. This
will help your doctor to make treatment decisions based on YOUR real data.