Accidentally left test strip container open for an hour

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CandyH & Catcat

CandyH & Catcat

Member Since 2019
did I deactivate these? am I going to find "bad" strips from now on? how long is too long to leave container open? -- instructions say to close tightly immediately

also how long can I have test strip sitting out before putting it in meter? (sometimes it takes me awhile to get blood droplet, and I don't want to futz with strip container while trying to get blood from cat)

maybe a silly question but there aren't any here, are there?
 
As long as strips are kept relatively cool and dry they're okay. The main thing about taking them out is not to handle them too much. Your hands will get oily and dirty 10 seconds after you wash them. I used to put mine halfway in the meter, get blood and then tap the strip fully into the meter. My meter shuts off after a strip has been in over 30 seconds.
"Maybe a silly question but there aren't any here, are there?" Any what? :confused:
 
(sigh) -- I've been very careful to handle the strips by the sides only, touching the end only with cotton ball or tissue between hands and strip, removing strip from container using "twissors" (tweezer that work like scissors) -- relatively cool, hey this is the Seattle area, 70 is considered a miracle; I too have been doing the "install only halfway" technique, I think you mentioned that hint earlier and it made sense

like many places, and occasions, I am assuming that no questions are silly ;)

I was so excited at seeing a test result INSIDE NORMAL VALUES, even though it was probably at or close to nadir, that I missed a step in my normal routine ....
 
I think the question is: are these strips still going to give correct results? IMHO, you might get more new strips (known to be valid). Then test kitty with a valid strip, and with one or some of the uncertain strips, and compare the results. Here's another question: can the doubtful strips be rejuvenated? Some of my meds come with little sachets of silica gel, which is a dessicant. You could put strips in their container, put some sachets of dessicant in container with them, and let them sit around for some time(one day, some days) and test as above. Please, if you do this, let us know the results.
Finally, here's what I do: first, locate cat. Then, put out meter, strip, lancet. Get blood drop on ear, touch strip to drop. I don't touch the area of the strip that touches the blood. When I take the strip out of its container, I immediately shut the container. I put the strip all the way into the meter before I bleed cat, but putting it partly in the meter as others describe sounds fine too. Anyway, the strip is out of the container for less than five minutes, tops. Good luck!
 
And silica gel and set-up to use it can also be found at hardware store, or maybe at pharmacy/compounding pharmacy, or you could see little sachets out of cloth. If you do this, pre-dry sachets in the oven at low medium temp overnight before use, and store them in a small airtight container. Again, bet of luck
 
Amina&M'row said:
are these strips still going to give correct results?
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As long as they're not contaminated and within the best before date strips should be good. I can't quote the figures but meters are allowed by the FDA to be off the mark by quite a high percentage. Hospitals and vet clinics don't use $500 meters, they're stuck with the same equipment we use.
CandyH said:
removing strip from container using "twissors"
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That's dedication! I used to put transdermal BUPE in Noah's ears with my bare hands. Eventually the vet stopped giving me latex gloves. No one ever died eating a hot dog that fell in the fire right?
 
I guess I think about humidity affecting strips because it's pretty humid here (Minnesota). Probably not so important for those living in dry climates.
 
several sites report accuracy allowed is 20% -- which gives a lot of leeway, seems better to focus on the trends rather than the actual numbers (except of course for the very low and very high)

can report from personal experience that Minnesota and Wisconsin are quite humid at least in the summer -- the first couple of years I volunteered at Oshkosh, I expected my skin to dry out (from the cool air in the Northwest)-- but that was not the case, I would have thought the skim of moisture on my face and body would evaporate in the wind there -- it didn't
 
"the FDA guidancespecifies the following accuracy standards:

  • 95% of all measured blood glucose meter values must be within 15% of the true value (a lab measurement); and

  • 99% of meter values must be within 20% of the true value."
https://diatribe.org/fda-publishes-final-recommendations-blood-glucose-meter-accuracy
Article dated Oct. 2016, accessed today.
Additionally the article goes on to state healthcare professionals have slightly higher standards, and that these new regulations obviously don't have any effects in regards to older meters still in use.

(I got sleep. My brain can handle Google today.)
 
interesting! will have to show my vet -- of course the parameters for cats are not the same as the human ones, as I'm sure she will metion; am also amused that the expensive One Touch meters distributed through Kaiser, are not as accurate as the Confirm, or even the Prime, from our local Wallyworld
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
99% of meter values must be within 20% of the true value
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I would gladly have paid more for a better meter, maybe that's as good as it's going to get for now.
Meters are free in this part of Canada. So was the $30,000 worth of platinum in the back of my head. I always tell CJ if I'm somehow decapitated to just grab some rubber gloves and get to a metal recycler. Pay off the mortgage and have a little vacation, after you wear a black veil for 12 months.
I'm getting cremated and I'm already dead, what more could happen?
 
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