CoaugCheck vs Coaugusence

[krosson62]

Have been using Coaugusence to monitor my INR for a little over a year but because of they're use and cost practices I recently bought a Coaguchek online also bought box of 6 test strips can anyone please explain to me how to get the blood on the strips the dvd that came with it is very vague have wasted 3 strips decided to go to the pros.

 

[MdaPA]

can anyone please explain to me how to get the blood on the strips

Fast forward to minute 6:58 and see if that helps. You can also try pellicle's tip of using a rubber band as a tourniquet.

 

[RAS]

can anyone please explain to me how to get the blood on the strips

I drop it directly on the "well" - that half circle area in the middle of the strip. Always works. Never used the technique they show in the video where the blood is drawn in from the edge of the strip.

On the rare occasions I have been tested at a clinic, they would pick up the device and swipe the strip across my finger. That always worked, but I have never tried it myself.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Have been using Coaugusence to monitor my INR for a little over a year but because of they're use and cost practices I recently bought a Coaguchek online also bought box of 6 test strips can anyone please explain to me how to get the blood on the strips the dvd that came with it is very vague have wasted 3 strips decided to go to the pros.

try my method


I find that in winter I get the best results by

1. have a shower (so you're warm)
2. find a place in the bathroom (so you stay warm) to put the device on a ledge that's a convenient height to work >standing<
3. prepare everything (lance, rubber band) and then activate the machine
4. stand calmly with your arms by your side
5. at the alert to apply, raise your hands, wrap the finger, lance >on the side< and voilla ... blood will often even squirt out.

a dry run or two won't hurt. The struggle is real


Best Wishes

 

[Jamey T]

Short of the shower I do nearly the exact same thing as pellicle, with good results.

 

[Protimenow]

If you have the Coag-Sense, just use one of the transfer tubes to draw your blood into the tube, then transfer it onto the CoaguChek strip in the same way you would transfer blood onto the Coag-Sense strip. This ALWAYS works.

The CoaguChek isn't all that difficult, either. For me, I lance my finger, make sure that there's a big enough drop of blood, then touch the side of my finger to the side of the strip - AND HOLD IT THERE for a few seconds. If it's given enough time to draw the blood into the chamber where the actual test is done, you should be okay.

Personally, I've written many times that I'm still not sure exactly WHICH meter to trust. But, with either meter, an INR above 2 or 2.5 should be okay. Even if the CoaguChek gives a value close to 4.0, whether or not IT's right, living with an INR at 4.0 isn't that big a deal.

 

[pellicle]

I'm still not sure exactly WHICH meter to trust. But, with either meter, an INR above 2 or 2.5 should be okay. Even if the CoaguChek gives a value close to 4.0, whether or not IT's right, living with an INR at 4.0 isn't that big a deal.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
is the bottom line of clinical practice

 

[krosson62]

Hi


try my method


I find that in winter I get the best results by

1. have a shower (so you're warm)
2. find a place in the bathroom (so you stay warm) to put the device on a ledge that's a convenient height to work >standing<
3. prepare everything (lance, rubber band) and then activate the machine
4. stand calmly with your arms by your side
5. at the alert to apply, raise your hands, wrap the finger, lance >on the side< and voilla ... blood will often even squirt out.

a dry run or two won't hurt. The struggle is real


Best Wishes

Thanks so much for the needed advice. The dvd that came with the device is very vague. I'll give your method a try.

 

[Protimenow]

I'm sure that by now, you're an expert at getting a good test every time you use the XS.

Like you, I also have problems with the Coagusense company, and with supplies for the meter. Like you, I also use the XS more often.
My INR values when taken with the Coag-Sense are as much as 1.0 below the XS results.

While I'm still not comfortable with which is right, I've written before (and forgot about) that even if the Coag-Sense gives me a result that's lower than the actual INR, I KNOW that if it reports an INR at or close to 2.0, I should slightly increase my dose. I would rather have a meter tell me that my INR is 2.0, and have an actual INR of 2.5 than have a meter (the XS) tell me that my INR is 2.5 when it's actually 1.9.

I'll still probably alternate between meters.

 

[Angel8642]

I'm sure that by now, you're an expert at getting a good test every time you use the XS.

Like you, I also have problems with the Coagusense company, and with supplies for the meter. Like you, I also use the XS more often.
My INR values when taken with the Coag-Sense are as much as 1.0 below the XS results.

While I'm still not comfortable with which is right, I've written before (and forgot about) that even if the Coag-Sense gives me a result that's lower than the actual INR, I KNOW that if it reports an INR at or close to 2.0, I should slightly increase my dose. I would rather have a meter tell me that my INR is 2.0, and have an actual INR of 2.5 than have a meter (the XS) tell me that my INR is 2.5 when it's actually 1.9.

I'll still probably alternate between meters.

Totally agree. I have both coagu-sense and goagucheck xs. I have noticed a huge difference in INR test results. I did a lab test to confirm which was the closest to itm it turned out coagusense was only .01 away from the lab and coaguchek was around 1.00 higher.

 

[Protimenow]

I'm still a bit undecided. The use of results from the CoaguChek XS is so ubiquitous that it makes me wonder if low INRs are REALLY a problem. If, for example, the XS results said 2.4 - labs say 1.9 (maybe), and this is actually what a 2.4 on an XS means - we should be seeing things like strokes resulting from blood clots - a lot more often, and the XS would be found to be the cause of these issues.

The difference from XS and lab results increases as the INR increases - a 2.5 on an XS may be pretty close to 2.5 in a lab. A 2.1 may be even closer (although I'm not sure where they differences become significant).

The XS IS a bit easier to use than the CoagSense, and strips for the XS are easier to find. I have both meters, and use the XS whenever I test my INR, and use the CoagSense every few times.

My target is 3.0, but I'm not unhappy with a 2.3 or so on the CoaguSense.

INR testing is an art, not a science - it varies based on reagent values and handling of the blood samples. FWIW - the reagents used by CoagSense could, perhaps, be calibrated to give a lower INR than the XS. Who knows?

Both manufacturers take major steps to be sure that the results from the strips are accurate.

I'll continue using both meters - but will probably use the XS more often than the CoagSense (for a comparative value).

 

[Angel8642]

Hi,

To add, I had a blood test and the lab stated I was at 2.2 and couaguchek a said 2.7-2.8. I always I assumed I was in range getting those numbers from the coagucheck. There was a time where my INR on coaguchek always came back are 2.5 several times I checked. Which i found strange. I decided to buy the coagusense because I thought the other machine was defective and still think it might be the case. My lab results from a lab vs coagsense are only on off by .01.

 

[pellicle]

There was a time where my INR on coaguchek always came back are 2.5 several times

It's possible that it's the lab that's out. I've personally seen this both with myself and others here. Labs aren't the paragon of precision you may wish them to be.

 

[Angel8642]

Very possible

 

[TGM]

I'm still a bit undecided. The use of results from the CoaguChek XS is so ubiquitous that it makes me wonder if low INRs are REALLY a problem. If, for example, the XS results said 2.4 - labs say 1.9 (maybe), and this is actually what a 2.4 on an XS means - we should be seeing things like strokes resulting from blood clots - a lot more often, and the XS would be found to be the cause of these issues.

The difference from XS and lab results increases as the INR increases - a 2.5 on an XS may be pretty close to 2.5 in a lab. A 2.1 may be even closer (although I'm not sure where they differences become significant).

The XS IS a bit easier to use than the CoagSense, and strips for the XS are easier to find. I have both meters, and use the XS whenever I test my INR, and use the CoagSense every few times.

My target is 3.0, but I'm not unhappy with a 2.3 or so on the CoaguSense.

INR testing is an art, not a science - it varies based on reagent values and handling of the blood samples. FWIW - the reagents used by CoagSense could, perhaps, be calibrated to give a lower INR than the XS. Who knows?

Both manufacturers take major steps to be sure that the results from the strips are accurate.

I'll continue using both meters - but will probably use the XS more often than the CoagSense (for a comparative value).

This is a little off topic but I am looking for a new supplier in North America for Coagucheck XS supplies. My current supplier, Acelis, will not fulfill an order less than 76 days from the previous order. Despite my best efforts to explain that my son had surgery and is trying to get back in range after his Heparin bridge, they continue to site their policy and tell us to go to the lab. Any suggestions?

 

[pellicle]

This is a little off topic but I am looking for a new supplier in North America

eBay

 

[Protimenow]

Hi,

To add, I had a blood test and the lab stated I was at 2.2 and couaguchek a said 2.7-2.8. I always I assumed I was in range getting those numbers from the coagucheck. There was a time where my INR on coaguchek always came back are 2.5 several times I checked. Which i found strange. I decided to buy the coagusense because I thought the other machine was defective and still think it might be the case. My lab results from a lab vs coagsense are only on off by .01.

At one time, my lab results were very close to the CoagSense. In fact, the CoaguChek XS was also pretty close - not more than .3 or .4 away from the other meter. The lab result was often the average of the two meters.

Over the last year or so, I've put more trust in the XS - largely because it's the one that most healthcare providers trust. I haven't had a blood draw at a lab for far too long, and should do this in order to get an idea of which meter is closest to the lab results.

I still have my Coag-Sense, but don't use it as often - the difference from the CoaguChek is often around 1.0l

So far, I've heard nothing about people having TIAs or strokes because the XS results were too high (meaning that the warfarin doses may have been too low). OTOH - even if the CoagSense results ARE significantly lower than the lab or XS, I wouldn't worry about having an INR that is slightly above range.

 

[ATHENS1964]

I've been using the CoaguChek XS here for about 3 years, I've checked it a few times with the lab and it's been very close to +0.2 to +0.4. Due to my profession, I had the opportunity to speak with the director of the laboratory, who told me that he had tested blood samples with various reagents on the analyzer. He has often found differences greater than 0.4 and he told me that it is related to the prothrombin material used by the companies.

So my conclusion is that the doctor has given me a target INR of 2.5 if the CoaguChek XS gives me 2.4 to 3.00 then I'm fine otherwise I make a corrective movement of the dose .

Since so far I have not had any unpleasant incident, I will continue the same management pattern, if I did something wrong, I believe it would have appeared.

 

[pellicle]

He has often found differences greater than 0.4 and he told me that it is related to the prothrombin material used by the companies

I'd be interested to know if they were high INR samples

 

[ATHENS1964]

I'd be interested to know if they were high INR samples

I will ask him when I meet him but I don't think he has kept any records. What I can tell you is about a measurement he had done for me , the CoaguChek had INR 2.8 he did 3 measurements with different reagents and had results of 2.5, 2.6 and 2.8, what I remember was that he told me the 2.8 that it was the same as Roshe's, it had a rabbit thromboplastin reaction.