Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring. Francine R. Kaufman

      Data Tables

      These are grids of numbers representing everything, including highest and lowest numbers, standard deviation, averages, number of times glucose testing was performed, frequency of infusion set changes, and percentage above and below target during the days you’ve selected for review. These types of tables work better with more data points and therefore are good when CGM is used.

      Average Numbers

      Average numbers are used to determine glucose levels during specific times of day, such as when you first wake up or when you go to sleep. Averages don’t show the highest or lowest numbers (for example, after lunch for the past two weeks).

      Standard Deviation

      The standard deviation assesses how frequently you go above or below your target range. The standard deviation is the amount, on average, that you swing above or below your target. If your standard deviation number is 35, then that is the average of your high and low numbers and you swing 35 mg/dL above target and 35 mg/dL below target. Optimally, standard deviation numbers should be less than 55 mg/dL or less than half of your average glucose level. For example, if your average glucose is 156, your standard deviation should be less than 78. The purpose of the standard deviation is to give you an idea of the variability within your blood glucose numbers. It is not beneficial to have a high degree of glucose variability.

      Percent (%) High, Low, and in Range

      The data sheet also shows the percentage (%) of glucose values in the high, low, and target range, just like the pie charts, but these are numerical values rather than graphic representations. These data can be used like the pie charts, and target ranges can be customized for each individual.

      At Your Diabetes Appointment