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Meter v hospital blood test

donnellysdogs

donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,231
Location
Northampton
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
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People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
Has anybody ever checked their blood meter compared to a hospital bloodtest? I did mine before and after I had blood taken for fasting glucose and the blood meter on my combo pump was 2 higher than the blood results.

So I calibrated my pump meter and it said in normal range.... How can there be a difference of 2?

I'm now wary of even dropping below 6 on my pump now, as effectively that could mean I would be 4 in real blood measurements. I know machines can have up to 20% error but mine was 100% differential to the blood taken....


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Hi, DD
Two possible reasons,
1) venous and capillary blood are not the same , how comparable they are depends on whether it's fasting or post prandial . If memory serves me right they are reasonably close at fasting levels but can be very different post prandially ( I found quite a lot on that at one time, I'll look it up )
2) the 'non accuracy' of our meters. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose-meters/blood-glucose-meter-accuracy.html
 
Shocking readings... I knew I was getting low and needed to eat so I tested and meter said I was 4.2, but I was determined to have blood test done and this was literally as they stuck the needle in me. So I thought ok, do another test straight after (3 mins) and this test said 4.0 so I ate immediately. My blood reading came back at 2.1!!! Huge difference.....

I knew I was feeling low, but this was also a new pump and meter so I thought at 4.2, just get blood done rather than having to fast another time, and I can eat within minutes....

I have calibrated combo meter, and it said the readings were within range. So now, I do not let myself go below 6.0...


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well if your meter said 4 that could be 3.2 and 2.1 on hosp could be 2.5 :pompous: difficult call really - I know if i feel hypo I treat hypo.
 
Emailed my consultant she also suprised at the big difference. Consultantsaid sheeould avesuggested cslibrating, but I had slready done tjat. So the only other suggestion was to ask for the meter to be changed.

I will definitely not let my readings go below 6.0 on this meter. When I go to hospital or gp I will ask if they have a meter to see how much it is higher agsinst other meters...


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I too have found the Accuchek Aviva strip meters differ a fair bit to other manufacturers sometimes by 1.5-2mmol. All of them end up with battery connection problems as well so you never know if the meter will actually switch on when a strip is inserted.

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I have the combo pump too and a few times I have tested at around 4.2-5 range but felt low, I know they are not always truly accurate and I also know I have dropped my a1c by a lot recently so was considering if they are false lows, though I have also experienced some problems with getting the meter to connect to the pump and it sometimes taking a couple of goes and also getting the electronic error message. I do keep meaning to phone them but forget as I am normally at work during normal opening hours for them!
 
Accuchek do not like pumps to give E7 electronic errors, if you are getting them then they will change pump.


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My probs for getting a new pump were taking battery out and when putting new battery in, the pump display was dead and the **** alarm would not **** up. It only went back working after battery was left out for 30mins. Then it happened again... Then when talking to accuchek about pairing up with old remote they realised my remote was dreadful when changing batterys too.

So ended up with both being replaced. When the pump had battery alarm going when battery in it, it was coming up with E7 error. They take that as serious. Accuchek brilliant service, but after 4 years almost this 2.1 and 4.2 differential worries me.... Both numbers are so far apart, they are outside the tolerances...


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