Meter For Testing For Ketones

[mum2westiesGill]

HI,

I use the Accu-Chek Aviva Expert meter for my everyday testing. I was given this meter after completing the Xpert Insulin course. The meter does not have the feature for testing for blood ketones. Does anyone know of a meter preferably Accu-Chek for testing for blood ketones?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[pav]

Don't know about accu chek products, the 2 I know about are the Glucomen LX plus, if you go for this one I have the on line order code that their form asks for, which I can PM you.

There is also the Abbott freestyle xceed. Both these meters you should be able to get for free.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Unless you are high risk of ketosis I would suggest that urine strips may well do the job.

If your clinic suggests that you would benefit from blood strips (eg that it would save unnecessary trips to A&E) then there are only two meters available

Optium Exceed
And
Glucomen LX plus

Strips for both cost about ?2.50 each, whereas a pot of 50 urine strips costs a fiver

 

[PattiEvans]

Mike

The strips for the Optium Xceed cost ?19.99 per 10. Trouble is I only have use for them very occasionally which means I waste more than I use because when they go out of date they no longer work. I do get them on prescription though. Perhaps I'll have more need of them on the pump? Hope not!

 

[Redkite]

Mike

The strips for the Optium Xceed cost ?19.99 per 10. Trouble is I only have use for them very occasionally which means I waste more than I use because when they go out of date they no longer work. I do get them on prescription though. Perhaps I'll have more need of them on the pump? Hope not!

Interesting you should say that. I was convinced that the strips would not work past their expiry date, but only yesterday needed to check my son's ketones and found the ones in the meter's pouch had expired on 31/12/13. I do have some more (in date) strips but thought I'd just give the old ones a try, and it worked fine! I checked the date on the meter which was accurate. Maybe they give a few days' grace period? Thinking about it, one could also just trick them by deliberately changing the date on the meter back to a date when the strips were still ok. Having said that I would only do this with recently expired ones, as wouldn't want an inaccurate reading.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks Patti. I was 50p out!

Well... There is quite a bit of waste in urine strips too of course. A ?5 pot lasts 6mths when opened, so out of a pot of 50 I and only ever likely to use 3 or 4 before they go out of date. Blood strips last longer I think, but I still think I would end up chucking blood strips away. I have a merger, but I've never asked for the strips on repeat.

I guess it all depends how much a person thinks they will use them!

 

[Redkite]

I guess it all depends how much a person thinks they will use them!

That's just it! You might not need them for months, then all of a sudden you might get through dozens in the course of a nasty illness. When my son's had d&v bugs, we've easily got through 2-3 packs of ketone strips. Don't want to be having to go to GP and pharmacy which takes a week usually! I always have 2 packs in reserve.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think youngsters should all be issued with (or at least given the option of!) blood ketone strips

 

[Hanmillmum]

I like to have 2 packs of strips in as well as you can get through them with nasty bugs.

You really ought to have the blood test strips if pumping, after all, due to only using fast acting insulin the risk of DKA is higher. You wouldn't be safe with the urine ones running a few hours behind. (Also worth taking your ketone blood kit into hospital if ever need to go in as they still use the urine strips - in our area anyway)

 

[PattiEvans]

Interesting you should say that. I was convinced that the strips would not work past their expiry date, but only yesterday needed to check my son's ketones and found the ones in the meter's pouch had expired on 31/12/13. I do have some more (in date) strips but thought I'd just give the old ones a try, and it worked fine! I checked the date on the meter which was accurate. Maybe they give a few days' grace period? Thinking about it, one could also just trick them by deliberately changing the date on the meter back to a date when the strips were still ok. Having said that I would only do this with recently expired ones, as wouldn't want an inaccurate reading.

Redkite, maybe they do have a leeway. I had some for about 8-9 months, never needed any as my BGs at the time were very good. Anyway, we went to Brittany to stay with friends for Xmas and I got the 'flu whilst there. In addition to lunch on Xmas day with our friends, which went on for about 5 hours, finishing at 5pm we were invited to the French neighbours for "drinks". The drinks turned out to be a 4 course dinner commencing at 8pm. I spent most of the evening comatose on the neighbour's sofa. On returning to our friends home at 1am my BGs were in the upper 20s despite many correction doses over the course of the day. I got out the ketone strips and no way would they work - they were out of date by about 6 months as it happened - cos they had been issued with only 3 months left of their life.

I was majorly embarrassed at sleeping at the neighbours house, but hey... with those levels. Anyway when I got home I contacted the chemist who had issued the ketone strips and they replaced them FOC because they had issued them with such a short life. So it's worth checking the sell by date when your receive them.

BTW this was Xmas 2008 so maybe there have been changes.