Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

loobylou — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:45:47 GMT

We also didnt realise the codes for dog or cat are different on each pot of test strips. We started a new pot halfway through a glucose curve but used the old code, rang technical support when we realised and they said the results couldnt be trusted

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Laura Ringsell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:09:30 GMT

we use the alpha trak too and it is good, quick and easy - only downside is that you have to tell it if you are checking a dog or a cat - i recently discovered the vets didn't realise that and so therefore didn't know wether the readings they had been taking were accurate or not - bummer. Where would tey be without us nurses...

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Katie Tallett RVN MBVNA — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:54:57 GMT

ours will last all of 5 mins then- we have the clumsiest vets in the woooorrrrllld!!

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Dawn Seabrook — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:17:01 GMT

We had a human glucometer and now have 2 alphatrak ones when we got them did run the blood through both and only found minor discrepancies of 0.1/0.2mmol however we have found that we get big discrepancies between the alphatrak and our istat so not sure which one is at fault. On a diferent note we have also found the alphatrak to be less robust than the human version i.e drop it once and there is no return which can be a bit of a problem.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Sal the 1st — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:51:27 GMT

the difference as I recall was between .1 and .2 mmol/l between the ascensia and the vetest ,with the ascensia with the ascensia giving the lower reading. would be very interesting to see how the allphatrack compares not only to the ascensia but also a vetest

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Vicky RVN — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:13:42 GMT

We used to use a human glucometer (the asencia one i think), but now have the alphatrack. Hmm maybe next time i'll compare the results, just out of interest as we've still got the old one.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Katie Tallett RVN MBVNA — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:35:04 GMT

we did a deal where we bought so much insulin and got an alphatrak foc (i think we did so much we now have 2!)

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Deemus — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:40:59 GMT

I have to admit that I didn't know about human glucometers being inaccurate for animals.Although once you think about it, it makes sense.

The glucometer is the ONLY blood monitoring machine we have at our place and I had to fight tooth and nail to get it. I don't think I'll mention the possibility of it giving inaccurate results just yet.......

I've never had a client ask about blood monitoring at home, even the ones who are diabetic themselves. I do think in the right hands it could be useful but as was mentioned before, a disaster waiting to happen in the wrong ones.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

loobylou — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:56:03 GMT

I agree about the home monitoring being an accident waiting to happen, especially in clients who are a bit too sure of themselves.
We recently diagnosed a cat which belonged to a client who was diabetic. She was keen to do home monitoring so we got her a kit and she was actually very sensible and followed instructions. Always rang in with results if she was worried etc. and the cat did really well.
I would be worried about the clients altering doses based on home testing results and any potential problems this would cause.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Sal the 1st — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:05:39 GMT

I once checked out I think it was 'ascensia' glucometer against a glucose ran on the vet test just to see what the difference was (I know I am a bit strange - it was just something that interested me at the the time ) .They were both pretty much the same - the glucometer showed a slightly lower reading than the vetest but not by much.

I contacted the manufacturers and was told by them that glucometers mostly read slightly low but this was a safety feature because if the patient does a blood and it shows low then they are likely to do something about it, whereas if it was a borderline low some of them wait till its too late.

I checked the ascensia one basically because it was a tenner at the local asda and a client had asked me about the accuracy as they were interested in using a glucometer with their recently diagnosed dog. Client was happy and practice were happy - cant comment on varying cell sizes etc but to me a glucometer that is giving a result almost on par with the vetest (ie the machine we were using to do our inhouse bloods on and whose readings we were basing our treatment ) then it cant be that bad, clients with diabetic animals pay out enough in treatment without having to pay over the odds for bloodwork so I was keen investigate this not just for this client but for future clients.

However the jury is still out with me as to if it is a good idea to have clients doing blood glucose on a regular basis. If you have a really switched on client brilliant but if you dont and have one of these that thinks they know but really they dont - you have got a disaster waiting to happen.

hope this is of use to somebody

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

loobylou — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:16:44 GMT

Not sure how accurate the humans ones are but the alphatrak ones are calibrated differently for dogs or cats so does seem more tailored to animal patients.

Would be interesting if anyone had tested on both animal and human ones at the same time to compare

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Freckle — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:10:43 GMT

[quote user="loobylou"]

[quote user="Freckle"]

how much is the alphatrak one?

[/quote]

The starter kit is around £80 but includes meter, test strips, lancets, control solution and some client info stuff. You can order the strips etc separately though.

[/quote]

Thanks.

Just curious, as I have recently raised the issue with my vets that human glucometers are pretty inaccurate, due to the difference in cell size etc....

They just laughed tho

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

loobylou — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:04:49 GMT

[quote user="Freckle"]

how much is the alphatrak one?

[/quote]

The starter kit is around £80 but includes meter, test strips, lancets, control solution and some client info stuff. You can order the strips etc separately though.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Freckle — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:59:51 GMT

how much is the alphatrak one?

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

anji jonas — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:54:10 GMT

FAB! thanks soo much have informed the boss and im proper in the good books!

and he laughed when i said i would ask you guys!!

thanks again.x

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:29:28 GMT

I am sure Woodley have a veterinary one for around £10 but can't find you a link!!! Grrrrr

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Charlotte Fitzgerald — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:26:19 GMT

Hi,

I think woodleys have just brought out a new veterinary specific glucometer ( as they are more accurate the human one is human specific), they did have a very good offer on not so long back I think you could get one for around £10-15 i think.

Contact Woodley's on 01204 669033.

Hope this helps .

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Cat Woman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:26:42 GMT

We use alphatrak too. Easy to use & accurate.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

bumble bee — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:26:24 GMT

We also use alphatrak & find it quite good .Also you can order the refills from NVS.

Re: Blood glucose monitors - your thoughts.

Maisy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:17:52 GMT

Have used both by the Alphatrak (animal specific) is particularly good and appears more accurate.