OT Loose Lips (I guess?) What can affect test strips/reading

[Pip & Rupert]

So.. not sure where to put this so thought I'd put it out here somewhere and maybe it can be moved! or stickied or something?

have been reading all sorts (as usual!) and have found odd references to various things that COULD cause inaccurate meter readings... not the meter itself but how the blood is handled or how the test strips are handled. Is there a sticky somewhere that addresses proper technique??

I read somewhere that TOO MUCH blood on the test strip can affect the reading (we often get that, Rupie wiggles and i hit the vein!)..
Is this true? somehow one assumes 'more is better'.
obviously too little doesn't work in the first place
that humidity can affect the test strips so if they were exposed to heat or too much light they could be messed up? (should they be kept in the fridge also??)
Any 'foreign' substance on the ear can affect readings. Any old dried blood at the poke site could affect readings?? wiping with alcohol can affect the reading? waiting too long between blood drop forming and actually grabbing a bit for testing can affect readings.....

are any of these ideas true? Obviously if you get a wacky reading you can retest.. but if you retest with the same batch of strips and they are 'wonky' then you don't get any new info. I'm actually most curious about the (possible myth) idea that too big of a blood drop can screw things up too.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Re: OT Loose Lips (I guess?) What can affect test strips/rea

I would not advise putting your strips in the refrigerator. It's too humid. The strips should be kept in a cool, dry place. There are probably temperature ranges on the container. Keep in mind that there's going to be some features that are specific to certain meters. I use a Contour so I'm responding based on my experience with that meter.

Too little blood will generally get you an error message. Although, when I've gotten a weird reading, I've re-tested and I do think there may have been just enough blood to not trigger an error message but it's not an accurate reading given that the 2nd test will make more sense.

Too much blood doesn't seem to trigger an error message. However, if you have a big drop of blood it can also cause an odd number.

I don't know about foreign substances. I suspect if you have Neosporin on the ear and you scoop it with the strip, the ointment won't let the blood be sipped into the strip. If you get alcohol on the strip it may give a false reading but I don't know about that. I don't think there's an issue with how "old" the blood drop is. There seems to be a fair amount of time between when you insert the strip and when the meter times out.

 

[Pip & Rupert]

Re: OT Loose Lips (I guess?) What can affect test strips/rea

thanx! I read the label on the test strips I have (One touch ultra) and they specifically say NO refrigeration so that's good to know. interesting that a 'too large' drop could possibly cause a wonky number. I'll have to monitor more closely the 'size' i get each time and maybe make a note!

 

[Karrie and Maverick]

Re: OT Loose Lips (I guess?) What can affect test strips/rea

This is good information.

Once when I stuck the strip in a big blood drop it either errored (spelling) out on me or gave me an inaccurate number. I learned from that to gently try and get the blood to sip up from the very edge of the strip when there is a big blood drop not just jam it right in the drop.