HBA1c how should it be done?

[Engineer88]

How do you guys get your HBa1c done?

Until today I've always had it doe as a finger prick unless i was having a full work up done.

I only ask as I've recently (10months) moved to the area/drs surgry and they refuse to do it as a finger test?!? so yeah just had to have the morning off and a needle just for Hb1. Doesnt seem right to me

 

[noblehead]

Bloods taken from the arm at gp surgery and they are sent over to the hospital labs, about a week later I go to the hospital diabetes clinic for my review and get my results at the same time, I always ask for the full results otherwise I wouldn't be offered.... for example hba1c, cholesterol and kidney's etc.

 

[Engineer88]

The nurse refused to take anything else as they had been done in Feb.

 

[noblehead]

The nurse refused to take anything else as they had been done in Feb.

Unless there's cause for concern they may not test anything else, if say your cholesterol was high and you were working on reducing it then they may test it more frequently, with hba1c my surgery won't check it unless 3 months have lapsed, they say the hospital labs check when it was last tested and won't do another unless the gp or consultant specifically requests it.

 

[leighhg]

Always a blood test with a weeks wait for results. they used to take 5 lots of bloods but now only take 2 due to cutbacks. they test liver and kidney function from the blood they take too.

 

[Engineer88]

No they aren't testing anything other than hba1c. All other levels were good.


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[mo1905]

My hba1c was done recently via finger prick. Results in 3 mins.

 

[hale710]

Finger prick, or eat lobe prick! Results in a few minutes for hba1c, kidneys, thyroid, cholesterol etc etc

 

[Andy12345]

i always get the jab in the arm i didnt know the finger prick or earlobe test where possible


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[Engineer88]

Thanks guys, I wouldnt mind but im not good at having bloods done and to increase the number Ive gotta have by 4 is too much.

 

[hale710]

i always get the jab in the arm i didnt know the finger prick or earlobe test where possible


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A nurse does it at the diabetes clinic, then I get the result when I see the consultant 5 minutes later

 

[Andy12345]

sounds better if only for the fast results


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[KHeggie87]

To be fair to the GP, there is very little point in doing HbA1c test's more frequently than 3 months. After all the whole point is to get an overall look at the previous 2-3 months blood sugar control.

Having the HbA1c test done by finger prick test is just as accurate as a venous blood test. The accuracy isn't different, just the technology that produces the results.

For a long time I thought that Arterial Blood Gas was far more accurate than a venous blood gas, however the only thing that's different is the number range that's considered normal. So as long as the Doctor who does the test knows what's normal for an ABG & what's normal for a VBG your okay.

The only thing I didn't understand is why they decided to change HbA1c from % to mmol/L! I still come across some Doctors who won't know what's normal in mmol/L & some that don't know what % is right.


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[Engineer88]

This is a bit of an odd one I know but Ive been doing 'DAFNE' for 6 weeks or so now so its to look and see if it makes a difference. Hopefully it has as 10 was not cool!

 

[hanadr]

Blood taken from arm at the hospital. I'm difficult to "bleed". finger prick isn't offered at our surgery.
Hana

 

[Yorksman]

Blood taken from arm at the hospital. I'm difficult to "bleed".

I have 'lazy veins' too as the phlebotomist like to call it. Some take ages to find a vein.

 

[Yorksman]

Venous blood samples are better than capilliary blood samples for tests which look at the plasma but, as long as it sample contains enough red blood cells, it doesn't matter for haemoglobin tests.

The benefit to a patient of a hba1c only test is that it doesn't have to be a fasting test. Many plasma tests do require the patient to fast, so they are a little more inconvenient. An HBA1 test costs about £4.40 and you can get all the other results thrown in. the major costs are transporting the sample to the hospital and someone typing in the patient details, NI number etc, labelling the sample and adding it to the in tray of the automated analyser.

Haematology and biochemistry tend to be called blood sciences thesedays in many hospitals given the versatility of the automated analysers. They do all sorts of tests. Normally you need a venous sample though because a finger prick would not give enough blood.

If you've never seen how these things are done in a modern hospital path lab, have a look at

Automated Hospital Blood Analyser: Part 1 Introduction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL-vXK032Hw

 

[Engineer88]

thats great Yorksman, but what about the paitent? and the cost of the nurse appointment, my half day lost from work and everything else?

I really dont care what they do with the sample as long as they get the result for when I need it. AND DONT STICK A NEEDLE IN MY ARM!!!! :evil:

 

[hale710]

thats great Yorksman, but what about the paitent? and the cost of the nurse appointment, my half day lost from work and everything else?

I really dont care what they do with the sample as long as they get the result for when I need it. AND DONT STICK A NEEDLE IN MY ARM!!!! :evil:

I still losing the best part of a half day from work to go to the clinic, so why is it any different?

It's medical, for me at least, I'm not required to take holiday time for it

 

[Engineer88]

Because this wasnt a clinic appoint that's on the 6/8 this was just for the hba1c blood test. Because my clinic don't do the automatic finger prick one either so results need to be sent in advance.


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