• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Glucorx HCT meter showing low Haematocrit, and what it means for accuracy

S

sugarislifeanddeath

Member
Messages
5
Hi all!
Just a brief one really - I just last week moved to the GlucoRX HCT meter, given I recently was in hospital for dka and scared the bejesus out of myself, so I wanted something that can do blood ketones as well. I test 10x daily (I know this sounds excesssive but I'm a taxi driver, hypo unaware, & so up and down it's ridiculous) and I have noticed a trend of my hemocrit on the meter showing as continously low, often under 20%, with an average of 14% over a week. Two questions:
  1. Is this worth a call to the GP? Or should I ignore it? Or do I bring it up at the next appointment in 6 months?
  2. How will this affect my readings? Will they be inaccurate? Can I do anything to compensate?
 
sugarislifeanddeath said:
Hi all!
Just a brief one really - I just last week moved to the GlucoRX HCT meter, given I recently was in hospital for dka and scared the bejesus out of myself, so I wanted something that can do blood ketones as well. I test 10x daily (I know this sounds excesssive but I'm a taxi driver, hypo unaware, & so up and down it's ridiculous) and I have noticed a trend of my hemocrit on the meter showing as continously low, often under 20%, with an average of 14% over a week. Two questions:
  1. Is this worth a call to the GP? Or should I ignore it? Or do I bring it up at the next appointment in 6 months?
  2. How will this affect my readings? Will they be inaccurate? Can I do anything to compensate?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forums.

My googling suggests that hematocrit can effect the accuracy of bg results so if you are basically off the bottom of the scale I would have less confidence in the meter's result. (Though it sounds as the GlucoRX attempts to compensate for this?)

I'd err on the safe side and call my GP, though maybe call the manufacturer first and ask if they have a control solution that measures hematocrit? And the accuracy of that measurement? And whether the glucose readings are likely to be accurate if the hematocrit is genuinely that low?

As for the blood tests, I would have thought that you would be a prime candidate for a cgm such as a libre or dexcom, so that you get alarms before you go low. Have you asked your clinic?

Good luck.
 
sugarislifeanddeath said:
Hi all!
Just a brief one really - I just last week moved to the GlucoRX HCT meter, given I recently was in hospital for dka and scared the bejesus out of myself, so I wanted something that can do blood ketones as well. I test 10x daily (I know this sounds excesssive but I'm a taxi driver, hypo unaware, & so up and down it's ridiculous) and I have noticed a trend of my hemocrit on the meter showing as continously low, often under 20%, with an average of 14% over a week. Two questions:
  1. Is this worth a call to the GP? Or should I ignore it? Or do I bring it up at the next appointment in 6 months?
  2. How will this affect my readings? Will they be inaccurate? Can I do anything to compensate?
Click to expand...

Hi,

Do you still have your old meter & indate strips in your possession? If so, what is the comparison there..?
 
EllieM said:
Welcome to the forums.

My googling suggests that hematocrit can effect the accuracy of bg results so if you are basically off the bottom of the scale I would have less confidence in the meter's result. (Though it sounds as the GlucoRX attempts to compensate for this?)

I'd err on the safe side and call my GP, though maybe call the manufacturer first and ask if they have a control solution that measures hematocrit? And the accuracy of that measurement? And whether the glucose readings are likely to be accurate if the hematocrit is genuinely that low?

As for the blood tests, I would have thought that you would be a prime candidate for a cgm such as a libre or dexcom, so that you get alarms before you go low. Have you asked your clinic?

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Excellent Ideas. I will get in touch with glucorx. I will say that it wouldn't suprise me if my hematocrite was that low, given I've multiple autoimmune disorders but I am a little confused so I suppose it would be wise to reach out.

Re the libre /dexcom / other gcm/flash I have been refused one by my clinic on the basis of "we only give them to children" and "you've got a wife and we don't give them to people not living alone" among other things. I bring it up every time I go and they shut me down every time. I'm aware the rules surrounding it are changing or have changed, and everyone is now entitled to a flash and I believe a pump, but my teams exuse is "this is just a suggestion, not a policy, we still don't give them out to over 18s and people who live with people as we've found them to be no use"
 
sugarislifeanddeath said:
we still don't give them out to over 18s and people who live with people as we've found them to be no use
Click to expand...

This is where you really wish that diabetic teams included someone who actually had the condition. Can I ask where you are located? (country). I'm in New Zealand where I don't think they hand them out at all :)

And does that mean they take them away from children the second they turn 18? Harsh.
 
EllieM said:
This is where you really wish that diabetic teams included someone who actually had the condition. Can I ask where you are located? (country). I'm in New Zealand where I don't think they hand them out at all :)

And does that mean they take them away from children the second they turn 18? Harsh.
Click to expand...


I'm in the UK, and I'm aware of the new move to allow everyone to have a flash and possibly a pump if they so wish, but my team isn't having any of it unfortunately. Also: My mates son is diabetic, has just turned 18 last month. Yes, he had the CGM and pump took off him. Horrible.
 
For those interested, I recieved a prompt reply from Glucorx today:

"...
GlucoRx HCT meter's Heametocrit Correction Technology makes it one of the most accurate meters on the market.
HCT Glucose Test Strips measure the haematocrit and glucose levels in blood (no algorithm involved). Factors which cause low haematocrit include age, exercise, nutritional deficiencies, pregnancy, underlying medical conditions etc which you can talk to your healthcare professional about.
In order to enhance the accuracy of your HCT meter reading, please repeat glucose testing ensuring you routinely discard the first blood drop about lancet skin puncture and test the purer blood which emerges from underneath..."

They went on to say they don't currently offer a way to test the accuracy of the hct number, and according to them I'm doing everything right. I've called my gp, who seems unconcerned, but this is the person who told me that my (T1) diabeties was my own fault for eating poorly (I eat extremely well) & would go away if I lost weight and stopped eating carbs altogether as all of them were "pure surgar". (He refused to entertain the idea of complex carbs, the glycemic index of foods, and the concept of eating a balance of all macros in a meal) So I think I'll watch and wait.

In any case I think we can rule out pregancy ;)
 
Back
Top