Different results from different meters?

We just had a visit to our vet's diabetes clinic where they checked our procedures to make sure we were doing insulin and BG tests correctly (surprisingly we seem to be doing an okay job). I took our testing meter (Contour) and strips along with us so that we could test Sergei using our meter and they could test Sergei using their meter just to make sure both meters were in the same ballpark. The two tests were performed within a one to two minute period and the difference between the meters was over 5 points. On my meter we were at 15,9 and on their meter (LifeStyle) Sergei's BG was in the 10s. I tested first and got the 15,9 so it seems unlikely his stress level would have dropped that much over one minute and during a test at the vet's office. Given the low nadir number we got yesterday, it gave me long pause to consider the number on my meter (4,6) could have been as much as five points too high if my meter reading was the incorrect one. The tech is going to contact a specialist at the local animal polyclinic to see if they have any thoughts.

Yesterday it really could have been the difference between a hypo and not, since the reading on our meter was 4,6 at the +4. Has anyone else had the experience of different readings on different meters tested at approximately the same moment?

 

Hi Sergei,

It is common that different readers give different values (especially if ine is for humans and the other for pets as they are calibrated at different points in the curve). I have also repeated tests with the same meter, and have gotten different results. 5 nmol is a big difference but 2 is to be expected if both are human meters, or both are pet meters.

I know it is nerve wracking, but usually is the relative value, more so than the absolute value that matter. So as long as the meter you use stay constant, you know what the reading means. To know your meter is staying constant you can use a standard solution (When I bought the alphatrak 2 it came with a standard), or you can also prick you own finger (assuming you are not diabetic).

When I changed form a pet meter to a human meter I fret about it, but after many double readings convinced myself they gave different numbers but were meassuring the same thing with good accuracy:

 

@Sergei Here is The Medical Literature for Your Vet and You to read up on
http://www.felinediabetes.com/glucometer.htm

Here is the latest Consumer Report 2012 and It is Each's Model Meter's Accuracy and Repeatability you two should look at, also when try calibrating the 2 different Meters You and Your Vet use.
http://felinediabetes.com/glucometersNov12.pdf

 

Morning Scott (well its morning here) I think as long as your vet can see that both meters can accomplish the same goal (which they can) They should encourage the use that is more cost effective (ultimately you are the one paying for everything including the vet bill) . Both meters will keep Sergei safe. The interpretation my be different but as Mum so aptly pointed out, both meters work.

Mum thank you for your graph and explanation.

You too Ann.

 

Is this also a human meter?

I am assuming that your meter is a human meter. If both meters above are human meters and such a discrepancy is observed then:

1. Test BG again to rule out results that might be unreliable due to faulty test strip(s).

2. Test both meters with their own meter-specific control solutions to see whether they're working properly.

(If the vet was using a pet meter I would expect their reading to be markedly higher than a reading taken on a human meter at approximately the same time. The higher the 'true' BG level, the greater the difference there should be between the readings taken on the two different meter types.)

Any time a number looks to be 'rogue' or worrying it is always recommended to immediately retest BG level.


Mogs
.

 

Thanks Mogs

 

I would think Mogs is right and the vet is most likely using a pet meter. All vets do now, it seems

 

I looked online for the vet's meter and couldn't find it.

I am concerned about Scott's readings because it sounds like the vet was NOT using a pet meter. In this instance the vet's meter read lower than Scott's. For the range that Sergei was apparently running in at the time, if the vet was using a pet meter their reading should have been significantly higher than the one given on Scott's meter.


Mogs

 

This is what I thought.

 

Thanks, that's interesting. Both meters in this case were human meters. I guess the problem I have is that

Hi Mogs, Thanks so much for getting back to me on this. Sorry it has taken so long to reply. It's been a busy evening here. You are correct, both meters were human meters. Mine was Contour; the vet's was FreeStyle, and their meter gave a reading 5 points lower than mine (mine said 15.9 theirs said 10.x). The reason I was so worried was because if their meter was correct, then I worry Sergei would have been in pretty serious territory yesterday when my meter read 4.6 mmol/L at +4. All things equal, yesterday their meter would have given us a hypo warning, since 4.6 less 5 would be a negative value. Reassuring is that three non-diabetic humans including myself have checked BG on my Contour meter and have gotten very reasonable values. Sergei is even more of himself today. So, while my intuition is that we are okay, Ptnr and I are going to continue to monitor Sergei very closely. Thanks to you and everyone for your insight.

 

Glad to hear Sergei is feeling better.

 

Thank you! I've been feeling pretty low about his condition for weeks, so the last day or two have been a very welcome change. I hope we continue to get more days like today.

 

Scott One of the things we are very proud of is our "bedside" manner. When you feel low just come by and say so. We'll help you through it. This isnt JUST only about your cat. You come with that package.

 

perhaps the vet might have been using free style lite?

There a number of people (including myself) that use their strips with alphatrack2 glucometers.

 

Hi, yes. Apologies for getting the meter name wrong in my original post, but FreeStyle was the one, and I believe it was FreeStyle Lite.

 

Yes, Sergei is in Holland, that's EU, and only the CE EU approved meters as for German Bayer's, Freestyle e.t.c are EU EMA approved https://www.ema.europa.eu/en .
Hi @Sergie I'm in EU Sweden since 2006.
But SlavonicVendish-Danish and knows fluent European Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Frisian, Vendish, German, French, Italian, Slavonic, Portuguese and Spanish, and American and Brittish English. And Chinese My Swedish Animal Hospital uses our European Human meters too. Already from the start. As well as the Human Ambulances and Hospitals too.

 

Hi Ann, thanks for the link to the EMA. The cat in your avatar looks a lot like Sergei . I notice in your signature that you also use a Bayer Contour meter. The number it gave me when I tested my own blood really made sense to me. If I used the vet's meter to test myself and it had given me a similar divergence it would have indicated that I was having hypoglycaemia myself (and I am not diabetic).

 

Ah, That's Simbadatta. Brother is Gustavdatta and sister is Ittydatta and Tjejendatta.

Our Swedish Animal Hospital we've familywise always have gone to since 1933 gave us the Bayer Contour for free from the diabetic start.

At Emergency at our Swedish Animal Hospital they use the fast ER I-stat and Hemocue, in daily practice we've always done the twice a year full blood tests, which include the blood plasma glucose level. Then we bg hometests as usual too.

 

Thanks Ann, it's good to know you are also using the same meter. I use the number only as an indicator of what is happening with Sergei's BG and keep a close eye on his behaviour.

 

@Sergei Here is your own Hollandish own Veterinary Medicine and Law Org within The European EBVS too https://ebvs.eu/countries/netherlands

You are doing a fine job.