Question about testing with different meters

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jkbank

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Hi there

I've been using a One Touch Delica glucometer…it's working fine. However I ran out of test strips for that model. I happen to have another glucometer, I think it's a freestyle. Should I expect a difference in the testing results? I know there is a variable range for all the meters (+/- 20% I think I read) but are the results comparable from one meter to the other? Don't know if I need to make some mental adjustment with the numbers from the other meter.

Thanks!
 
There have been reports on the Freestyle that since they changed their strips awhile back that it has been giving false low numbers, I'm not sure I would trust any readings from a Freestyle. I know of at least once cat on the Relaxed Lantus board that looked like he was headed for remission but still showing all the clinical signs of being an unregulated diabetic, when his person traded meters for a Bayer Contour the reason revealed itself because his BGs were actually in the 300s.

A better option might be if you have a Walmart close by to pick up one of their house brand Relion meters and the strips to go with it , meter itself is like $9 and the strips are like $20 for 50 strips.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
I questioned the accuracy of my meter - to the point of near insanity. I would encourage you to do a recheck if any of your numbers seems a little off from what you might be expecting.

I use a ReliOn Ultima, purchased a ReliOn Confirm, and ordered a Nova Max for testing ketones in the blood - it came w/ 10 BG test strips as well. After about a week of testing, there were several "wonky" numbers, and when it was all over with, I stayed w/ my ReliOn Ultima - I liked it the best, test strips were reasonable - even if I was testing more than once - and when I tested it against another's meter (Accu Check Aviva), they were EXACTLY the same number! She had had her meter tested against her vet's and the vet school... so I felt pretty good about it.

I posted on HEALTH - April 7th - about some minor little things that might make a difference in the consistency you get from your meter. Will see if I can find the post... viewtopic.php?f=28&t=68038 (METER ACCURACY - What I've learned so far)

Whatever you do, I encourage you to stay w/ one meter at a time - or be really consistent w/ your records. And be comfortable with the one you're using. If you change meters - note it on your spreadsheet so that down the road you'll know that that might be a variable when comparing numbers.

You're right about the 20%. Keep in mind, however that at higher numbers, 20% is a lot more than it seems (or at least my understanding of it is!). 20% of 400 is 80 points - which would be a range from 320-480. That's a big point spread! I would say, based on that, that my meters almost always came in within that 20%. But I wanted less. If I ran three tests on one meter, and came up w/ two close numbers and another significantly higher or lower, I'd typically take one of the two like numbers. My philosophy is to re-test something that is hard to believe - high or low!

Good luck!
 
Thanks all! I was able to get more strips for the One Touch so it's just the one reading with the other. At this point, I'm not making any major decisions based on the testing, just gathering information. I made a note on Gem's SS that the one reading (which was lower than I'd expect) was with the other meter. My intention is to test with that one meter, this was a one-off thing.
 
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