new BG meter for pump - accuracy?

[Mumlé]

With the pump we were given a new BG meter to use which beams the result over to the pump, whoopee. Saves me a whole 5 seconds of entering in the number myself. So long as it's within 12 minutes... Anyway I digress. The point is, this new one is called contour link. The old one we used was aviva nano. It seems to be super sensitive, but I'm not totally certain, because the high levels we often got with the aviva I didn't double check, because it was just normal to be (what I now see is) ridiculously high, eg late teens. Now if I get a reading over 15 I will double check and sometimes it's totally different. Two examples which aren't brilliant: got a reading LO - had to look it up and it meant BG so low it was off the scale - surely she would have been in a coma!! So I did it again: 9mmol. (and again to double check: 9. something). Yesterday I got 3.2 before lunch - I thought well it shouldn't really be that low given the circs, so checked again: 4.2. Now that means difference between whole tube of glucogel or not, which is fairly important. I don't clean her hands any differently than I did using the old meter.

In the hospital they said use water. Other people say ALWAYS use soap and water, others say a wipe is ok if it's an unfragranced one (I sometimes use tescos own hyperallergenic) . Sometimes her teeny fingers are so cold I have to squeeze a bit, but if it's too much I will do it again.

Any advice here?

 

[shiv]

Hey,

I've been 'LO' and conscious 🙂 you don't necessarily end up in a coma but I agree, that is obviously a dangerously low reading and weird that it showed up at 9mmol after.

Meters aren't 100% accurate - the law in the USA states they can be up to 20% out in either direction. It sucks, but it's the way it is.

As for handgels etc, I think the most important thing is making sure there is no alcohol in them - but I might be wrong - wait to see what other people say.

I learnt recently it's important not to squeeze too hard - as this can bring up other bodily fluids along with the capillary blood.

If possible, try to get her hands warm before the test - I often shake my hands, clap them together, make fists, put them in my armpits, etc! I bleed so much easier that way.

Ultimately though, if you don't trust the meter, go with what you do trust.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Yep it's right avoid any handgel with Alcohol in it, as it will give a false reading also ensuring any handwipes don't contain alcohol in them, generally I go for one for babies...

Soap and water no problems just ensure well rinsed... Washing up liquid can effect the results I've found out..

As said meters do have a tollerance of 20%, added to this there might be some discrepency with how the meter is reading the blood and what figure it's giving is based on.... The avivia Nano reads blood plasama and give this as the figure. I don't know whether contour reads whole blood or plasma or whether if it reads whole blood does it do like some other meters do a calculation to give the reading in plasma! but the manually will give this information in it's spec details... But the difference between a whole blood reading and a plasma reading could be around 12%

If you are unhappy or worried with the readings the meter is giving out, and you'll sure that fingers aren't contamminated and you haven't squeezed the finger too hard or been a bit slow at collecting the blood sample (latter can also effect reading) double check it reading correctly with the sample solution provided if they haven't contact abbot and request some..

If after all this and you'll still not happy, contact either your clinic or abott and get them to give you a replacement

 

[Adrienne]

The best thing to do is choose one meter and stick with it. We have used the One Touch range for ever and love it. It was proved to be one of the nearest to right results. I have tried others and don't like them, including the one you are talking about, the Contour.

They all vary so not fantasic.

Jessica started shaking uncontrolably last night. I tested and she was 3.0 but I knew she was lower than that. She had coke, I tested 15 minutes later, she was still shaking badly and she was only 2.9 so more coke. I think the first reading should have been in the 1's and she came up to 2.9. She started climbing and was ok (well she wasn't but that is a different story).

We use Andrex hand spray which we found in Tescos, is only a pound or so and is alcohol free and easy to carry around.