new test strips give very different results

[anon125]

after using the freestyle neo of nearly a year, i see that the strips are expiring.
why do they expire?
so i bought new ones.
with seconds i had tested both the new and the old and got very different numbers.
is this normal?
do other brands do this?
old 5.7 and 5.6
new 6.8 and 6.8.
consistent anyway!
as a member of the 5% club this is a bit concerning.
freestyle support said go to your doctor, and readings are different each time
and other useless info in regards to my question.
Thanks all

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

I FOUND THIS ON THE SUBJECT OF TEST STRIPS WHICH AM SURE IS INFORMATIVE NOT SURE ITS HELPFUL.

What affects the accuracy of a test strip?

First, If you are questioning your test strips accuracy, let me ask you this. Are following you ALL the directions printed for your meter and test stripse? Lets summarize all the basic.

• Wash your hands and test area before testing,
• Verify that your test strips have not expired,
• Do environmental conditions exceed your meter or test strips ratings. (to hot, to cold, to humid)
• Keep your test strip bottle closed when not in use.

These are some of the basics, but make sure you follow all the recommendations in the manual for both your meter and test strips. OK?

Beyond all the basics, the one factor that does not seem to be covered well is how long are test strips usable after you open the bottle? Is the first strip as accurate as the last strip even though the last strip is well inside the expiration date. The short answer is, not always. The compounds on the test strips which react with glucose also react with oxygen.

My Endocrinologist informed me that he found one of the more accurate test strips on the market only provided those accurate results for a week. A WEEK!! are you kidding me? You have to test 7 times a day to go through a 50ct bottle in a week. For some diabetics I guess that is OK, but I don't think everyone test 7 times a day. I am not sure what the average is, but shouldn't we know that information? I would bet you that all those error correction test are done with freshly opened bottles. Not ones that have been opened 20 times with fingers poking around inside the bottle or having test strips fall out and put back in. I want to know THOSE test results. Source
http://www.diabeticnerd.com/articles/how-accurate-are-your-test-strips.php

Now there is also the accuracy of meters to be considered, but that's another problem for another day.

Inspite of the many problems I DO MEASURE.....I DO RECOMMEND IT and I use it as a GUIDE to what is happening as an indication of trends etc and if one food Spike my Readings ands another has no or minimal effect then after several tests I use This as a GUIDE to what I should Eat and not eat

As An Aside I Wonder What The Margin of ERROR is on HOSPITAL BLOOD TESTS. ???

 

[ringi]

One option is to transfer a weeks worth of strips to a old container at a time so most of your strips are not exposed to the air as often.

Lab BG have a very low margin of error, the meters hospitals use are a bit better then ours and are meant to be check with control solution everyday and whenever a new pot of strips are used. They also never handle strips etc without putting on a fresh set of gloves etc......

 

[anon125]

thanks
a minor point - these strips are not in a bottle. each one is individually sealed in foil.

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

One option is to transfer a weeks worth of strips to a old container at a time so most of your strips are not exposed to the air as often.

Lab BG have a very low margin of error, the meters hospitals use are a bit better then ours and are meant to be check with control solution everyday and whenever a new pot of strips are used. They also never handle strips etc without putting on a fresh set of gloves etc......

I have read that strips should not be stored in old containers but kept I the container they came in. As to Hospital Blood Tests really !! a fresh set of gloves for every test I Do Not Believe It might be what they are meant to do but I doubt it is what they do.

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

thanks
a minor point - these strips are not in a bottle. each one is individually sealed in foil.

individually foil wrapped must be expensive never heard of this

 

[ringi]

As to Hospital Blood Tests really !! a fresh set of gloves for every test I Do Not Believe It might be what they are meant to do but I doubt it is what they do.

That what they did when I was in ACU for a day, otherwise there is a risk from the drop of blood.

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

That what they did when I was in ACU for a day, otherwise there is a risk from the drop of blood.

I am not doubting the nurses in ACU I am talking about the BLOOD THAT IS TAKEN IN A SYRINGE, Then sent to a laboratory for testing by a technician who has hundreds of different tests to do each day take into account Low NHS Funding, Low Staffing ,Privatisation (Means need to make a profit.) add in the increasing numbers of diagnosed diabetics and that why I doubt if they follow a safe procedure every time, not all but some ?In Bangkok if I have a hospital Blood Test at 7.30 my doctor has the result by 9 30 just time for a fry up of bacon eggs and sausage coffee etc. and to check my mobile.