Count Me In

Measuring Hemoglobin Using the HemoCue

Anemia Screening Topics

You need

  • A HemoCue Hb 201+ device
  • 1 Power adaptor (if power is available)
  • 4 AA batteries (if no power is available)
  • Hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol)
  • 1 pair of gloves (non-sterile, latex-free, and powder free)
  • 1 alcohol pad (or cotton and alcohol)
  • 1 lancet (disposable, sterile)
  • 1-2 gauze (sterile, lint-free)
  • 1 Cuvette
  • 1 Band-Aid
  • A biohazard container
  • An assistant for infants and young children

Follow these steps

Tap on each step to expand it.

  1. Get Ready
    1. Have the Hemocue device and supplies ready.
    2. Have the child sit in a caregiver’s lap or independently in a chair, if old enough.
    3. Sanitize your hands using a hand sanitizer. Alternatively, wash your hands with soap and water and dry with a clean towel.
    4. Put on gloves.
    5. Turn the Hemocue on. The screen should read “Hb” or the result from the last test you performed.
    6. Open the cuvette holder. After about two seconds the screen should have three flashing dashes.
  2. Prepare the Finger or Heel
    1. Select the sampling site: heel, middle finger or ring finger. Learn how to choose.
    2. Clean the sampling site with alcohol. Allow to completely air dry.
    3. Using your thumb, apply pressure at the top of the knuckle using a rolling motion towards the tip of the finger. This stimulates the blood flow toward the sampling point.
  3. Prick the Finger or Heel
    1. Before activating the lancet, press it firmly against the finger facing upward. While applying light pressure toward the fingertip or the heel, prick the finger.
    2. Apply gentle pressure as needed until a blood drop appears.
    3. Wipe away the first 1 to 2 drops of blood with sterile gauze.
  4. Fill the Cuvette with Blood
    1. Reapply light pressure toward the fingertip or heel until another drop of blood appears.
    2. Hold the cuvette by the winged end. When the blood drop is large enough, insert the tip of the cuvette into the middle of the blood drop. Hold the cuvette in place until the entire teardrop shaped cavity is filled with blood in one continuous process.
    3. Wipe off any excess blood from the outside of the cuvette with clean gauze. Make sure not to touch the open end of the cuvette, which could cause blood to be drawn out of the cuvette.
    4. Inspect filled cuvette for air bubbles. If present, discard filled cuvette in sharps container and fill a new cuvette from a new drop of blood.
  5. Measure Hemoglobin
    1. Place the filled cuvette in the cuvette holder. This must be done within ten minutes after filling the cuvette.
    2. Gently push the cuvette holder to the measuring position.
    3. The display shows an image of a hourglass plus three fixed dashes. The HemoCue is measuring.
    4. After 15 - 60 seconds, the hemoglobin value is displayed. The value will remain on the display as long as the cuvette holder is in the measuring position.
  6. Give Follow-up Care
    1. While the HemoCue is measuring, apply gentle pressure to the sampling site to stop bleeding. If needed, apply a bandage.
    2. Dispose of the used supplies appropriately. Discard the filled cuvette and the lancet in the sharps container.
    3. Take your gloves off and dispose in garbage bin.
  7. Next Steps
    1. If you are done with measurements for the day, push the HemoCue power switch to turn device off, clean the cuvette holder and store appropriately. Learn how to properly store HemoCue.