BM. It actually means 'bedside monitoring' or bedside measurement but the abbreviation is used by us to mean only one thing - blood glucose monitoring. We measure blood glucose levels in almost every patient we attend, as a matter of routine. The test involves pricking the skin to obtain capillary blood which is then placed on a measuring strip and into a light reflecting meter. The meter (a glucometer) measures the level of glucose in the blood. Normal levels are between 4 and 10 mmol. A reading below 4 mmol indicates hypoglycaemia. Anything above 10 mmol is called hyperglycaemia but is not necessarily dangerous until the levels reach the high teens.
The test is important for determining the status of a diabetic, although most of us will spot a hypo/hyper immediately anyway. The test then serves to confirm what we already know.
Drunks always have BM tests carried out as alcohol plays havoc with blood glucose levels.
