How often do you compare meter to lab test?

[gardencream]

We have been going to the lab every 3 months to ensure the meter is accurate. But really, how often do you need to? My daughter hates drawing blood from her arm and I don't blame her. Are there alternatives to ensure meter accuracy? I like to do it once a year only.

[selketine]

Except in the hospital when first dx'd we've never done this - I didn't know it was common practice.

One thing we are supposed to do is have his A1c test every 3 months in the lab and they do a blood draw from the arm (inside elbow) rather than the finger stick test. That blood draw is SO traumatic for William (he is 4) that I asked his dr. if we could use the home A1c test instead. That one is just a finger prick and I've compared it with his lab results and it is almost the same. She was fine with that - we'll do the lab A1C once a year.

I'd just talk to your child's doctor about your concerns. I personally don't see how an arm draw just for that is worth it!

[BrendaK]

We just got home from our 3 month endo visit. We have always gotten a finger poke test for an A1C at the lab -- it takes 8 minutes to read it and we get the results right away. We only do blood draws once a year for a complete blood workup. They rarely test blood sugar through a blood draw. We always do "meter checks" at the appointment. We use our meter and compare it to the office meter to see if ours is accurate.

If you can't avoid the blood draws, talk to your doctor about using emla cream -- it numbs the skin and makes the blood draw much less traumatic for a little one.

[jvoyles]

is a clinic that only requires a finger prick to test A1C and you get your results within a few minutes. We use our own pricker and use the same finger prick to test our meter against theirs.

If you are getting blood drawn every 3 months and it is traumatic for your child, I would recommend asking your doctor about the possibility of them getting updated equipment or checking out other doctors in your area. Seriously, that's a lot of stress every 3 months for years and years. The every day pain of managing the disease is enough.

[wendyc]

We get 1 big blood draw a year, and with that they check thyroid, celiac and of course A1c. Other times, it's just a finger prick. For the blood draw, we have warning so I apply Emla before leaving home. I agree, I would speak to your d-team about how traumatic it is for your child. Four times a year for however many years it is until a cure is found is a lot to ask of a little one. This also creates problems for a ped visit when shots are needed, so even more fear from other docs. We go for our 5 year visit tommorow and have all our vaccinations again, and my daughters are scared about it.

[gardencream]

This has nothing to do with A1c. It is just a mechanism to test your glucose meter to ensure it's accuracy. It involves drawing a tube of blood from your arm and pricking your finger using your meter at the same time in the lab so the two results can be compared. The reading from the tube of blood is considered to be the baseline and if the reading from your meter falls within plus or minus 20% of the baseline, then your meter is accurate. We have been told you need to do this meter comparison/meter calibration every 3 months.

[EmmasMom]

We have never compared our meter to lab results, unless she's in the hospital and already having blood drawn.
The control solution should let you know if it's within a 20% margin of error.

Does your endo want you to do this?

[selketine]

This has nothing to do with A1c. It is just a mechanism to test your glucose meter to ensure it's accuracy. It involves drawing a tube of blood from your arm and pricking your finger using your meter at the same time in the lab so the two results can be compared. .

I realize that the test for your child has nothing to do with the A1c but the demands of doing a blood draw every 3 months from the arm is the same as our dr. wanted to do - in our case to test A1C. This is why I brought it up - that it is so traumatic also for William that we worked out a different plan.

Frankly if all they are doing is testing the accuracy of your meter this way I would refuse to do it straight out. If I suspected problems with his meter I'd probably just ask them to give me a new one and compare those 2 or something. I don't think it is common practice - in the US anyway. I've never heard of it or read that it is something that should be done so often.

[wendyc]

Wow, I thought you meant a big draw for the A1c, and then they also compared the meter. I have never heard of that. We were told to use the control solution everytime we open a new bottle of strips, and that it has a 20% margin of error. The control solution is pretty accurate, and if I think there is a problem, I would contact the meter co. I have never had a problem with readings due to inacuracy, problems were always self inflicted (dropping, spilling water on it etc).
I would refuse to do it. Is your endo requiring this? Can you come to another sort of agreement? It is just alot to ask of a little one.

[jvoyles]

and I can't believe that insurance would even pay for it. Doesn't make sense to me.

[JasonJayhawk]

It's really hard to consider doing a "lab comparison" with a meter versus the lab result. Why?

1) A "perfect" match doesn't mean much. It might give false confidence in the meter...when in fact, you may have just gotten a lucky result, or a good batch of strips. The "perfect" result is like hitting a hole in one -- good luck doing it again!

2) Meters vary by 20% from test to test. If you're going to waste strips, you're better off checking the variability of results from the same sample of glucose solution.

I think for some small minority, it's more dangerous for them to test their meter with the lab results, because they will keep that result in mind for a long time, and even make meter recommendations based on their one or two experiences. (The most "experiences" a typical person would have is four a year, or one every three months, anyhow). And yet, some people make high recommendations for their meter based on their seemingly "vast" experience with lab vs. meter comparisons.

It's just like the bad idea of having people go to a Diabetes Fair and get their BG tested. They test, find out they're "normal," and forget about it. An associate told me, "I'm okay, I was 96 when I tested two years ago." They didn't have the concept that glucose varies from minute to minute. :p