compromised test strips

[timbla]

i'm just wondering - if test strips have been sitting in the glove compartment of a car in hot sunshine for a prolonged period of time and are thus compromised in their effectiveness, will the resulting readings on the meter be low or high or a combination of either?

i know i read somewhere that the strips need to be kept at room temperature, but mine have been seriously heated up - over a period of days. my recent numbers have been unusually good and i am just not sure if i can trust them or not. any ideas?

tim

 

[Northerner]

I would try testing with some new strips and comparing results. Can't imagine it does them much good getting over-hot as they are partly chemical based.

 

[Copepod]

Do you have some test solution to check the potentially damaged strips? Most manufacturers will supply this free.

 

[Vicsetter]

OneTouch strips say below 30 degrees C. But try them and see.

 

[MeganN]

Do you have some test solution to check the potentially damaged strips? Most manufacturers will supply this free.

Is the solution suppost to have a reading of 0?? or something else? I have a contour meter and strips

 

[timbla]

have neither any solution or other strips with which to test or compare. im guessing that if it was at least 30-something outside the car it would have been even hotter inside. just curious if the readings would be lower or higher than normal - ie, if there was a general reaction either way to that kind of heating. but thanks for the response anyway. i shall have to get myself some new strips i guess and go with that.

 

[Vicsetter]

Is the solution suppost to have a reading of 0?? or something else? I have a contour meter and strips

The range of readings with control solution is printed on the pot of strips, but I don't believe it should start with 0, more like 5.9-7.8mmol/L

 

[trophywench]

Mine (Roche Accu-Chek Aviva Combo, equivalent to the Aviva Expert meter but same test solution for the Aviva Nano) have two test solutions, one high and one low. The low range is 1.7 to 3.3 and the high is 14.1 to 19.1.

I thoroughly wish they could invent more accurate test solution, so you'd know you were hypo or high, but it's a bit wide ......

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I'm pretty sure I've read recently that there's a risk of strip accuracy/performance being affected of they are left in a car for example. Test solution seems a good way forward

 

[Andy HB]

The range of readings with control solution is printed on the pot of strips, but I don't believe it should start with 0, more like 5.9-7.8mmol/L

My pot of strips has the following control ranges :-

Normal (N) - 5.5 to 7.6
Low (L) - 1.8 to 2.5
High (H) - 16.1 to 22.4

My control solution bottle indicates that it should give results in the Normal range.

Also, I agree that the control solution would be the best way forward. But some strips may have been damaged and others not. In theory though, the meter should identify damaged strips .... normally.

Andy 🙂

p.s. You should be able to get the control solution from the meter manufacturer (I'm pretty sure it is normally free too ... after all they makes loads of dosh from the strips!).