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Cars and hot weather

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Spiral

Well-Known Member
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What will happen if you leave your meter and test strips in the car on a hot day?

This isn't a joke, I'm curious. I left my meter in the car earlier this week, fortunatly, it wasn't on a hot day, but it did get me wondering about the welfare of my strips and my meter if it had been.
 
Hi Spiral.

Here is the storage instructions for meters and strips from Accu-Chek. I would imagine other manufacturers are pretty similar ?

Storage
How Should I Store My Blood Glucose Meter?
Ensure that your meter is kept at temperatures between –40°C and 70°C to avoid damage. Relative humidity must be below 85%, and avoid storing your meter near electromagnetic fields (near mobile phones, microwave ovens, etc.).

How Should I Store My Strips?
Test strips should be kept out of very cold or hot conditions. The test strip container should be kept closed at all times since it contains a drying agent that will not work if exposed to the air.

Hope that helps.

Ken.
 
Thanks Ken, I had read the storage instructions and usually keep my meter in my handbag and my stockpile of strips in a cool cupboard. It fell out of my bag earlier this week when I braked suddenly and we were seperated!

I have experience of going outside the manufacturers recommendations sometimes with no impact at all, sometimes with disastrous consequences :shock: While I'm obviously not planning to superheat my strips and meter, I was curious, just in case I ever manage to do it on a hot day :roll:

Have you done this? What happenend? Did your strips work afterwards? Did you just have to give your meter a bit of TLC (if so, what?) or is a new one needed?
 
Hi Spiral.

What I would suggest if you think there may be a problem is to use the control solutions and test your meter and a couple of strips. If they are both within tolerances then you should be OK to continue using the meter and strips.

I do know what you mean about the superheating inside your car, I posted elsewhere about leaving a can of Coke in my car which was parked in France with the sun roof open. The can exploded in the heat. I am still cleaning up after several weeks back here. So the temperature can be really high.

Ken.
 

:shock: :shock: :shock:

I will make sure I take the test solutions away with me when I go on holiday, I think, and try not to brake suddenly again.
 
Hi Spiral,

I think your meter and strips will probably be ok. I have had mine in temperatures of 130°F (55°C) in Arizona and New Mexico and it didn't seem to have any affect. I think that humidity has a bigger impact than temperature and can stop test strips from giving correct readings.
 
Just reading the forum and came across this. I keep my meter in my handbag as I do with my mobile phone. I do and try and separate them but it isn't always possible but I do keep them both in cases - mainly for protection against bumps. Just wondered how other people manage. Not had any problems so far.
 
Not a problem for me i live in Scotland lol :lol:

Andrene
 
Right now it's sunny and about 25+ in London.

Right now in Glasgow, it's 18 and raining. Continually.

We need to move the UK south. Parallel to the Canary islands would suit me just fine.
 
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