Petition for CGMs on the NHS

[trophywench]

Well of course having a Libre doesn't replace fingerprick testing, neither does having a CGM. Both of those will always be 10 or so minutes behind blood testing because that's the time lag between blood and interstitial fluid and anyway you have to test every 4 hours or so to ensure the CGM is correctly in line (can't remember the correct word there) with your BG.

And so it's never 'instead of' - always 'as well as'.

 

[Robin]

Well of course having a Libre doesn't replace fingerprick testing, neither does having a CGM. Both of those will always be 10 or so minutes behind blood testing because that's the time lag between blood and interstitial fluid and anyway you have to test every 4 hours or so to ensure the CGM is correctly in line (can't remember the correct word there) with your BG.

And so it's never 'instead of' - always 'as well as'.

It doesn't replace it entirely, but I find that once I've done a few parallel tests over the first 48 hours, if my Libre and meter are agreeing, I rein back on the test strips and save them for when I haven't got a Libre sensor in, unless I'm driving of course.

 

[pottersusan]

Well of course having a Libre doesn't replace fingerprick testing, neither does having a CGM. Both of those will always be 10 or so minutes behind blood testing because that's the time lag between blood and interstitial fluid and anyway you have to test every 4 hours or so to ensure the CGM is correctly in line (can't remember the correct word there) with your BG.

And so it's never 'instead of' - always 'as well as'.

the word is 'calibrate'! and you have to do it at least twice daily with the Dexcom.
I've just restarted the current sensor for the third time - hip hooray! It surprises me how when you have to do two finger pricks within minutes of each other (for the initial calibration) the variation in BG between neighbouring fingers.

 

[trophywench]

I'd completely lost 'calibrate' for the minute there Susan! Dunno where it went .......

Ta!

My meaning was though, that the NHS couldn't possibly save ALL what it pays out for strips - even if they give us ALL a CGM even a reasonably priced on like the Libre.

For starters they use shedloads themselves - whenever anyone at all - diabetic or non-D happens to go for a pre-med, before an operation for starters. Anyone presenting at A&E and triaged gets their BG tested automatically and their BP when they ask you things like your name address and basically what's your prob. And of course - anyone on a stretcher it's also automatic.

 

[Robin]

I'd completely lost 'calibrate' for the minute there Susan! Dunno where it went .......

Ta!

My meaning was though, that the NHS couldn't possibly save ALL what it pays out for strips - even if they give us ALL a CGM even a reasonably priced on like the Libre.

For starters they use shedloads themselves - whenever anyone at all - diabetic or non-D happens to go for a pre-med, before an operation for starters. Anyone presenting at A&E and triaged gets their BG tested automatically and their BP when they ask you things like your name address and basically what's your prob. And of course - anyone on a stretcher it's also automatic.

A & E always seemed to adopt the latest cutting edge equipment, ( whether it's different now they're all strapped for cash, I don't know) , like thermometers you stick in the ear for an instant readout, and clothes peg BP devices that stick on the end of your finger. I wonder if eventually, when it's developed, they'll all use the gizmo I read about somewhere on here, that reads your BG by radio waves or something, without needing to stick anything in your finger.

 

[Northerner]

A & E always seemed to adopt the latest cutting edge equipment, ( whether it's different now they're all strapped for cash, I don't know) , like thermometers you stick in the ear for an instant readout, and clothes peg BP devices that stick on the end of your finger. I wonder if eventually, when it's developed, they'll all use the gizmo I read about somewhere on here, that reads your BG by radio waves or something, without needing to stick anything in your finger.

I thought those clothes peg things were pulse oximeters, to measure pulse and blood oxygen levels?

 

[Robin]

I thought those clothes peg things were pulse oximeters, to measure pulse and blood oxygen levels?

Oh probably, I was strapped down to a board in the back of an ambulance at the time, hard to see what's going on. ( There was no way I thought I'd broken my neck, but apparently they'd recently missed one, so anyone complaining of the least bit of stiffness in a car crash was automatically carted off). I remember asking what my BP was, after the paramedic mentioned they'd taken it, and he said, 'if I tell you will you promise not to panic!' I thought he said the clothes peg thingy did it, but I'm probably wrong.

 

[Northerner]

Oh probably, I was strapped down to a board in the back of an ambulance at the time, hard to see what's going on. ( There was no way I thought I'd broken my neck, but apparently they'd recently missed one, so anyone complaining of the least bit of stiffness in a car crash was automatically carted off). I remember asking what my BP was, after the paramedic mentioned they'd taken it, and he said, 'if I tell you will you promise not to panic!' I thought he said the clothes peg thingy did it, but I'm probably wrong.

Ah! My introduction to it was under much calmer circumstances (sort of!) when I was put in the cardiac care unit after my diagnosis - they immediately hooked me up to all sorts of gizmos there, with a semi-permanent ECG as well 😱 I annoyed the nurses by constantly asking them questions about everything! 🙂

 

[robert@fm]

As a sufferer of obstructive sleep apnoea, I often have my SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) measured, and can confirm that it's the LED clothes peg which does that (along with pulse). These tests are often done at the same time as BP (inflatable cuff), hence the confusion. 🙂

 

[trophywench]

It is blood oxygen levels Alan - we kept saying to the A&E staff that Pete's was a bit low wasn't it since it was 80-something percent and a recent TV prog had told us anything under 90 was a danger sign - but they assured us that it was fine.

Two days later at a different hospital A&E they put the first hosps X-rays up and enquired immediately what they'd said about Pete's chest - he said they'd said nothing - but his side hurt, and he'd been complaining about that as well as his leg and shoulder, ever since the accident.

5 broken ribs and a collapsed lung were the reason! They had to put a chest drain in - the sort they have to do without an anaesthetic - Owwww!