Control solutions

[JCB12345]

Hi does anybody use control solutions? I have read they should be used with every new batch of test strips, does anybody know how reliable glucometers are? Where can I find control solutions?

 

[KennyA]

Hi does anybody use control solutions? I have read they should be used with every new batch of test strips, does anybody know how reliable glucometers are? Where can I find control solutions?

Hi and welcome to the forums. I do use a control solution each time I open a new tub of strips. It calibrates the meter, or it's supposed to, anyway. I only have experience of a single meter, and I'm still using the control solution that came with it. If I needed a new one I guess I'd look on the manufacturer's website and order from there. Some meters don't use control solutions at all

I understand that in the UK the meters have an allowable 15% error in readings - so a reading of 5.0 mmol/l could actually be anywhere from 4.3ish to 5.7ish.

Have you got a meter at the minute?

 

[becca59]

I do. They go out of date and should also only be open a certain amount of time so regularly reorder over the phone. It did throw up a rogue batch of test strips once.

 

[Scimama]

I do, the solutions were free, I ordered on meter manufacturer/supplier website

 

[Mrs T 123]

I confess It is something I have never used in over 5 years of testing - although I probably should

 

[Antje77]

I've never used a control solution, and I don't think the user manuals of any of my 5 meters advised this.
I do take my meter when I see my diabetes nurse to test it against hers, and when they still tested fasting blood glucose on my blood draws I used to take my meter and test in the cubicle right before or after a blood draw to compare.

 

[Jollymon]

I've never used a control solution, and I don't think the user manuals of any of my 5 meters advised this.
I do take my meter when I see my diabetes nurse to test it against hers, and when they still tested fasting blood glucose on my blood draws I used to take my meter and test in the cubicle right before or after a blood draw to compare.

I don’t think we (the test strip users) should have to be burdened with acting as “quality control” to manufacturers that should be sending us good supplies that we are supposed to rely on.

I have also tested my meter against lab tested results. But if there was a difference I wouldn’t know what to question- the device, the test strips, or operator error.

 

[Robbity]

I used control solutions (either for my original Accu-Chek Nano meter and later my Contours) for a short while years ago when I was first diagnose and like @Scimama got them free from the manufacturers websites.

However my Contour meters/strips have proved to be consistently accurate so I've not bothered since. Although they tend to give slightly lower HbA1c predictions than my actual tests they are quite consistent in their comparative results.

 

[Antje77]

I don’t think we (the test strip users) should have to be burdened with acting as “quality control” to manufacturers that should be sending us good supplies that we are supposed to rely on.

I have also tested my meter against lab tested results. But if there was a difference I wouldn’t know what to question- the device, the test strips, or operator error.

Control solutions give you a range for the outcome. But that range is larger than the differences I've seen between different meters and lab tests.

As for being our own quality control, we are for everything we buy. If the bread is mouldy despite not being past its use by date we throw it out.
If we use a control solution we're still our own quality control.

 

[Brunneria]

I've never used a control solution.

I looked into it, when first testing, weighed the hassle and inconvenience, the shelf life, and the huge range of the solutions (something like 8-15mmol/l !) listed in the manufacturer's blurb, and decided it simply wasn't worth the effort to get hold of them.

Have never felt I was missing anything by not using them.