A1c Testing Methods. They took a fingerstick and had results in 6 minutes?

Yesterday at a visit to Childrens Hospital, ostensibly to learn about the Dexcom (which we have had for 8 weeks), they did an A1C test on DS (its been 3 months since his last so it was time). What was interesting about it was that it was a simple fingerstick instead of a draw. It took 6 minutes to get a result. Last time we had blood actually taken out of his arm at a lab prior to our visit, and they tested for his A1C that way.

So my question is, do any of you have any experience with this fingerstick approach to getting an A1C? It was super convenient for sure, but it took me by surprise. Is it any less accurate?

 

iDD has seen 2 different endow since DX and both have done a1c by fingerstick

 

I think many endos do the fingerstick now; personally I don't like it as much as the result doesn't seem to line up with meter readings (of course it could be argued meter readings are off too). When sent to a lab it always lined up with our best guess, when fingerstick I have seen a fairly high margin of error at least one of our visits.

That said, my son's new endo does send out to lab.

And I see the updated signature, awesome number you got there!

 

We have always had a1c done by finger stick. It usually matches up with our meter readings.

 

Our endo has done fingersticks since we were diagnosed, and I'm sure since before then. I didn't know some offices sent off the bloodwork until reading about it here.

 

Fingersticks here too. We've never had a blood draw, so I don't know if it would match better. Ours seems to comes close, but has never been right on with the meter/dexcom readings.

 

We go to the Lab each time and they e-mail us the result the next day.

 

Ashleigh gets the fingerstick A1C during her appointments. The only time she has the blood draw is when we have to get her yearly labs done.

Edit: she'll be getting the blood draw this time around.

 

Our endo only does blood draws, and I refuse to put Jack through that more than once a year, so we use the home a1c (fingerpoke) tests in between. They always match up pretty closely with our CGM average.

 

No less accurate, IMO.
We only get a A1c via blood draw once a year, and this is because they are doing a full panel. Might as well run it that way instead of doing an additional finger stick. All other times it's a finger stick.

 

For quarterly visits, just a finger stick; once a year it is done by blood draw along w/ tests for celiac, thyroid, cholesterol, etc.

 

Wow who knew! I didn't realize there was a fingerstick option available for A1C. Well it certainly made DS's day (he hates draws). I guess until we have gone a year we will not have experienced the routine. Thanks everyone.

 

I have strong opinions regarding finger sticks vs blood draws. My sons endo uses finger sticks and my endo uses blood draws. It would be SO much more helpful if I knew what my a1c was while AT my appointment. When I get the results back several days later there's no way to discuss any surprises or treatment adjustments except to make another appointment. My office visits are pointless. There's nothing to discuss unless I know my a1c and if what I'm doing is working or not. (I'm MDI, no dexcom, so no cgms to get a bigger picture). I am currently looking for a new adult endo who does fingers sticks at office visits.

 

My endo also doesn't do the fingerstick A1C but gives me the lab order through the online patient portal a few weeks before my appointment so I can get it done beforehand. He always orders a bunch of additional blood work as well so I guess the lab draw would be necessary even if he had the fingerstick A1C. I have switched to going to the endo every 6-9 months so I also get lab orders for A1Cs every 3 months which I can do (or not...) and then check the result on the website without needing an appointment.

 

This. I try to stop by the lab a week or so in advance so they have all the data. I think if I checked in without recent labs they would send me to the lab to have results during the appointment. I actually don't know if my endo does fingerstick a1cs.

 

CVS carries an A1C kit in the stores around here. I don't know how accurate they are compared to the kits the endo's use or a blood draw. Our endo office offers a finger stick A1C but charges $30 for it. We always need a blood panel so we get ours as part of the blood draw.

 

I have not heard of any adult endos that do fingerstick, and I am curious to know why. That being said I found out our primary does, but she doesn't treat type 1, so we have never had one done there. I know that I looked into it a bit before and got the idea that it wasn't as accurate, but probably worth it just to save the kids from all of the blood draws.

 

Fingerstick A1c in a Dr's office generally use the same laboratory equipment as the lab does. The main difference here would be capillary blood vs venous blood and how long the blood was stored in the lab as the A1c tests are often done in batch runs. I don't know that those would affect A1c much though. All of my endos have done A1c's in office.

Now the kits from the drugstore are different though and I don't know how they compare. I've seen them demoed though at conferences.

 

My endo does finger stick a1c's. I feel like it reads slightly lower than the lab.

 

My daughter has had A1Cs done both ways, plus the fingerpricks have been done at two different locations. The fingerpricks at one office were what we expected, as were the lab values. The other office always was 0.4 higher than we expected.