Can anyone tell me if my glucose meter is broken?

[lewis10694]

If you see the photo attached...
All these glucose were taken one immediately after the other, each from a different finger.
I feel like the variation is too much. Could something be wrong?

 

[eventhorizon]

Did you have clean dry hands? Does seem to be a large variation.

 

[lewis10694]

Did you have clean dry hands? Does seem to be a large variation.

Yeah I had just washed them using a regular unscented anti-bacterial hand soap and made sure not to touch anything except a clean paper tissue.

 

[therower]

Why aren’t you using the test solution as instructed by the manufacturer to test the device for accuracy?

 

[Mr_Pot]

Why aren’t you using the test solution as instructed by the manufacturer to test the device for accuracy?

As far as I can see test solutions have a large range and wouldn't help.

 

[Fndwheelie]

Why aren’t you using the test solution as instructed by the manufacturer to test the device for accuracy?

I’m not the op, but I’ve been testing my sugars for 18 months, and never heard of a test solution to test my device. I’ve had some very different readings with mine sometimes. 35, 28, and 22 done within a minute. I’ve pointed out these weird readings to my diabetic nurse and she never said I need to test the machine. I’d be interested in hearing more about this test solution if you could explain it.

 

[lewis10694]

Why aren’t you using the test solution as instructed by the manufacturer to test the device for accuracy?

I remember being told not to worry about test solution at the hospital. The box I got given there with my meter in it when I was diagnosed, I just checked and there is no test solution in it.

If you think this might be useful do you know how to get this? Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I’d be interested in hearing more about this test solution if you could explain it.

Have a read of theis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4525664/

 

[therower]

I’m not the op, but I’ve been testing my sugars for 18 months, and never heard of a test solution to test my device. I’ve had some very different readings with mine sometimes. 35, 28, and 22 done within a minute. I’ve pointed out these weird readings to my diabetic nurse and she never said I need to test the machine. I’d be interested in hearing more about this test solution if you could explain it.

You should find information with your test strips. You may need to purchase the solution, usually hi and lo solution.
Each solution will give a reading that should fall within the numbers quoted within the test strip information sheet.

 

[therower]

I remember being told not to worry about test solution at the hospital. The box I got given there with my meter in it when I was diagnosed, I just checked and there is no test solution in it.

If you think this might be useful do you know how to get this? Thanks.

As far as I am aware the test solution is universal for all devices. A good pharmacy should have it available. You will need the relevant ranges for the test strips you are using. This should be with the information sheet you get with your test strips.

 

[Jaylee]

If you see the photo attached...
All these glucose were taken one immediately after the other, each from a different finger.
I feel like the variation is too much. Could something be wrong?

Hi,

Different fingers from the same hand?? Different corners can by all accounts have a bit of a variation to what I see in your pic..

 

[Mr_Pot]

You should find information with your test strips. You may need to purchase the solution, usually hi and lo solution.
Each solution will give a reading that should fall within the numbers quoted within the test strip information sheet.

The tubs of strips have calibration something like this...
Control A 5.9~8.9 mmol/L
Control B 10.3~15.5 mmol/L
So the variation allowed from the test solutions is not too different from the variation the OP is seeing and doesn't really check the accuracy of the meter unless the meter is broken or the strips are completely useless.
My advice would be for @lewis10694 to try a new tub of strips after checking they are in date.

 

[Sapien]

Another option would be to check with a different brand meter and strips at the same time.

 

[therower]

The tubs of strips have calibration something like this...
Control A 5.9~8.9 mmol/L
Control B 10.3~15.5 mmol/L
So the variation allowed from the test solutions is not too different from the variation the OP is seeing and doesn't really check the accuracy of the meter unless the meter is broken or the strips are completely useless.
My advice would be for @lewis10694 to try a new tub of strips after checking they are in date.

Actually my advice would be for people to be better educated on how blood test results on such devices should be interpreted and have a better understanding of how blood circulates around the body. Far to many newly diagnosed posters listen to the ramblings of uneducated people regarding BS readings and find themselves worrying totally unnecessarily.

 

[slip]

Blood is not one consistent number through out your body, it ebbs and flows. Each test strip will have some degree of variance too and also has some percentage of leeway on accuracy (older machine could be +/- 20% out, new ones are 15% or could even be 10% now) so although those numbers appear to be out of whack, they're actually not if you base the lower numbers as being the bottom of their allowable limit and the higher numbers on their higher limit + the possible blood variations.

The good news is that they are all within a healthy range!

 

[Robbity]

What information do you expect to gain from your multiple tests?

I work on the principle that my blood is circulating all the time and with it the amounts of glucose in it, so I expect to have some variation in test results, even with tests from the same finger. If I get a completely unexpected result, then I'll ask myself why, and if necessary, wash hands and retest.

If my meter was broken I'd expect it to be giving me error messages.

Robbity

 

[copilost]

I got my test solution from the meter manufacturer (Accu-Chek Performa Nano), I had to register the meter and they sent the test solution to me free of charge.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I got my test solution from the meter manufacturer (Accu-Chek Performa Nano), I had to register the meter and they sent the test solution to me free of charge.

And what happened when you tested your meter?

 

[copilost]

only arrived today and I've run out of test strips :-D they should be with me tomorrow.... Just wanted to alert that meter supplier might supply free control solution.....willlet you know how I get on....

 

[Daphne917]

I got my test solution from the meter manufacturer (Accu-Chek Performa Nano), I had to register the meter and they sent the test solution to me free of charge.

Same here - they also send a voucher for free batteries from Boots.