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Two types of meter not agreeing with each other

M

Margi

Well-Known Member
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I got tempted to try an accu-chek meter recently because the mobile one is great for when I am out and about. I love the thing, it's so easy to use and I am less likely to drop bits all over the place if riding, so for me it's ideal. But...

It's readings don't agree with my previous One Touch Ultra! I've had the one touch for years and always found it convenient, except when riding. I dropped the finger pricker the other day when on a competitive ride (endurance) and couldn't find it. It was such a nuisance and that is why I went looking for something that was 'all in', which the Mobile is. You don't even have to dispose of a used strip with it, it swallows it up all by itself! :D

So as the two read more than a mmol different from each other, what do I do if I want to use both? The test cassettes for the Accu chek are much more expensive than the One touch (I just looked up the retail prices of them), so the doctor is reluctant to let me use only the accu chek as I test a lot. I can understand that, so am happy to keep the Accu chek for when I'm out and about - hence the 'mobile' element. Also the Accuchek doesn't work at under 10˚C, so it's no use outdoors in the winter. Maybe they should re-name it 'Mobile summer'.

Can anyone shed any light on the accuracy of meters relative to each other? And also, does anyone know of anything with the convenience of the Accu-chek mobile that works in outdoor winter temperatures? Imagine using the meter with reins in one hand, meter in the other and a rather unpredictable horse underneath it all. It needs to be an 'all in one'! My old mare used to just walk quietly till I was finished then start to play again when I said it was ok. The current one hasn't got to that point yet.
 
Hi Margi it is quite common to find these discrepancies between meter reading even between tow readings taken on the same meter may be 1 mmol/L out. The meters are accurate to within a tolerance of 10% or there abouts I think, it may even be greater, so a reading of 6.4 could be 7 or 5.7 at the lower end. It is always advised in these types of posts that you stick to one meter.

As for the Accu Chek not working under 10˚C, just keep it next to your body and your body heat will keep it at a good working temperature
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Some meters read whole blood BG, some read blood plasma BG. The whole blood readings are always lower than the plasma, or so I was told. I have a Freestyle Lite (plasma) which I use in the house, and a Bayer Contour (whole blood) for the odd occasions I need to test when out. There's at least 0.5 mmol difference between them. Check on the instruction leaflet, or on their website, to see which each tests.

Maybe use the two side-by-side at the same time for a few days to see if there's a consistent difference? Then you'll know to mentally adjust the readings.

It's those tigers that lurk in the bushes, you know - very scary! :wink: :lol:

Viv 8)
 
viviennem said:
It's those tigers that lurk in the bushes, you know - very scary! :wink: :lol:

Viv 8)
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Yeah! They're everwhere. His party trick is to teleport sideways. But he's still a bit green and not so inclined to saunter when on a competitive ride, even for a couple of minutes. And the tiger always picks when I take my meter out to stick its head out of the hedge. Or someone comes up behind going much faster, and while he doesn't usually say, 'Can I go too?', he's still a bit sharp. I think I'll put him on my avatar. He's drop dead gorgeous. :D
 
I used to ride one a bit like that - pass a working cement mixer lorry without flicking an ear, and then have total hysterics at a cigarette packet lying in the gutter! And she was old enough to know better :lol:

I'd love to see his pic.

Viv 8)
 
Margi said:
I got tempted to try an accu-chek meter recently because the mobile one is great for when I am out and about. I love the thing, it's so easy to use

I can understand that, so am happy to keep the Accu chek for when I'm out and about - hence the 'mobile' element. Also the Accuchek doesn't work at under 10˚C, so it's no use outdoors in the winter. Maybe they should re-name it 'Mobile summer'.

Can anyone shed any light on the accuracy of meters relative to each other?
Click to expand...

That is the same reason i got the mobile for my daughter a couple of months ago to make testing when out and about easier.

It does not work that great in the summer either :roll:
During the last 'hot' spell of weather a whole test cassette died :?
I rang them up and they sent me another, they seemed to think the sudden hot weather was a co-incidence but to be on the safe side when it is 24 degrees or above we now use a spare meter!
I hope we don't have similar problems over the winter.

She has the mobile, aviva and a glucomen lx, i find they all read pretty similar readings except for anything above 13 they can sometimes differ by up to 3mmol
 
Interesting, Spearmint. I think I'll do a series of tests with both, also a few testing two in a row with the same meter. I'll have to swallow my scruples and waste a few pennies of NHS money doing it.

I never thought of grumbling at accu-chek for the duff cassettes, I could do that too. They owe me (the NHS rather) two already.

Viv, (I hope you don't mind being Viv - I can spell that!) I tried to put Fella's picture on, but I can't make it work. I'll have to get my son to reduce the pixels on it so it will fit, then it should go on. I hope. :D
 
Margi said:
Interesting, Spearmint. I think I'll do a series of tests with both, also a few testing two in a row with the same meter. I'll have to swallow my scruples and waste a few pennies of NHS money doing it.

I never thought of grumbling at accu-chek for the duff cassettes, I could do that too. They owe me (the NHS rather) two already.
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Well i rang them to ask advice on how to keep the meter in the hot weather as i'd not had problems the past 2 years with other meters and he said he would send a new cassette and an envelope to send the 'dead' one back to them for testing.
I need to phone them again because the meter itself refused to work last night and is still showing an error message this morning :shock:
 
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