Comments | emmacrew: reliable blood glucose monitors?

emmacrew

reliable blood glucose monitors?

Aug 22, 2008 12:22

My mom's baseline fasting BG level has been ~99 for something like a couple of decades. The guideline for "pre-diabetic" has moved down so now they're worried about it, and sent her home with a monitor to do tests. When she went in for her appointment yesterday, they figured out that the thing has been reading 30% high, and that she's been freaking ( Read more... )

Comments 12

lilituc August 22 2008, 19:48:07 UTC

I like OneTouch and find them pretty damn accurate (except the mini). Otoh, they're not the best for someone who has any issues with hand-eye coordination, shakiness, vision, etc.

Home monitors can vary up to 20% in accuracy across the board, though. More so outside certain ranges.

Not only that, but there are a lot of factors to consider - who are the patients, what is the objective, is this for long-term use, will they be expected to purchase strips themselves...that all influences what I'd recommend.

On another note - the fasting test is generally the last result to be abnormal if there's a problem. So what you really want to look at is postprandial numbers - one to two hours after eating. (Some say two hours, but ime one is where the spike is at the beginning, then it moves to two).

dibranchia August 22 2008, 19:54:14 UTC

I like my Accu-Chek Aviva - but more so I like my Multiclik lancet that came with it - it means that I don't have have to change the needle every time I use it (it's got a drum that holds 6 individual needles). I used to have a monitor (I think it was the Accu-Chek Compact that had a drum of test strips too that I really liked, but they changed to this. I also have one that looks like a Palm somewhere that I haven't used (I don't remember the brand but it can also keep better track of the results and you can buy software/cables to do so - found it - it's a OneTouch UltraSmart and it's a meter and logbook so you don't have to write down in a separate paper book) and a OneTouch UltraMini that I've used. The OneTouch reads about 10 pts higher than my AC (that's normal btw there can be about a 10-15 pt difference between brands I think it is and between your lab vs your home test because the lab tests on spun blood while your home meter tests on whole blood). Anyway, the OneTouch is nice because it's smaller - about the size of my ( ... )

lilituc August 22 2008, 19:59:18 UTC

You can use whichever lancing device and lancet type you want with any meter, really. So if you like the Multiclix, you could just keep using it; many people do that. It's also sold separately.

I would also recommend the BD 33 gauge lancets.

dibranchia August 22 2008, 21:17:13 UTC

Oh, I know that, they just don't fit in the holder as well a lot of the times - especially with the OneTouch mini. :)

hobbitblue August 22 2008, 20:32:11 UTC

Mine's an accuchek compactplus and its given the same results as the one my doctor and her practice nurse use, the more modern meters require very little blood to get a reading too which is handy.

dkw August 22 2008, 21:24:10 UTC

Kevin uses a OneTouch Ultra; hasn't given us any trouble.

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emmacrew August 23 2008, 00:01:47 UTC

They gave it to her a week ago, so she doesn't really know much about calibrating etc. I don't think she's actually diabetic yet, they're just trying to make sure by getting a bunch of levels through the day, I guess.

lilituc August 23 2008, 00:08:46 UTC

Technically the only end user calibration is the coding, so it's a good idea to check that the code is correct, unless it's one of those no-code meters (which admittedly it doesn't sound like).

If you meant using control solution, that doesn't do anything to the meter; it just verifies that it's operating within acceptable parameters.