# Finger Pricks and Squirting Blood **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565 "2001-10-05T13:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565/1 "2001-10-05T13:03:20Z")
Hi, My seven year old son is a diabetic, has been one for a year now. Since day one, he’s insisted on doing his own finger pricks for his blood sugars. His mom is a diabetic, so he has a role model so to speak. Anyway, the question: Occasionally he misapplies blood to the test strip, and we have to redo the test. Upon trying to express more blood out I ocassionally find the blood squirts out in a fine stream, not unlike **Checkmate’s** “friend’s” zits. What causes this. It occurs only when we try to reuse the stick site. He asked me this morning, and I, despite having read quite a bit, haven’t come across any explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565/2 "2001-10-05T13:15:36Z")
Which finger is he using? If he’s using his thumb, that’s because there’s an artery in it. He ought to be using another finger. ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565/3 "2001-10-05T13:18:19Z")
He does four pricks a day, he rotates his fingers and sites on the fingers, he does not use his thumb at all. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565/4 "2001-10-05T13:24:53Z")
The stick site bleeds a bit under the skin, with time. When you squeeze a site that’s been there for more than a few seconds, you can force a larger volume of blood out the stick site than you would get with a very fresh poke. Result: a tiny jet. you’re nowhere near any arteries. I’m sure your son’s diabetes nurse or doc can elaborate. Qadgop, MD ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565/5 "2001-10-05T13:38:30Z")
You might also want to look into a different brand of tester that doesn’t need as much blood–One Touch makes a little one that takes a very small amount of blood. You don’t put a drop of blood on the test strip, you just touch the end of the the strip to the droplet on the finger and the blood gets wicked into the test area. ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-pricks-and-squirting-blood/85565/6 "2001-10-05T14:02:54Z")
We use a One Touch Ultra. It needs only 1 microliter of blood! Great operating temperature range too. Thanks Dr. The eruptive nature of this event is then from the squeezing forcing open this pooled area of blood.