Now what? INR today 1.1 on INRatio/ 2.7 Protime

[Natanni]

And 2.3 at the lab....everyone is losing faith fast in home monitoring

The doc isn't saying too much, but we are having to go with the clinics Pro Time (Not the ProTtime 3 model, checked today).

Nathan called QAS and they are sending out another batch of strips thinking maybe the strips may be bad. Has anyone ever had a bad batch before? Since Nathan started home monitoring, the numbers got wider and wider between the clinic/lab and his own. The tech support was pretty much out of ideas as well.

2nd question--With those having the INRatio, do you use the first sample of blood from finger or do you wipe away the first and use a 2nd sample of blood? Our clinic feels that maybe this may be the culprit for the wider margins. They always use the 2nd sample as the first may be contaminated with alcohol. Our INRatio instructions state to use the first sample?

Sorry for being such a pest!

Ann

 

[Karlynn]

This is a really unfortunate mystery.

I have also heard that the alcohol residual in the first drop of blood can throw off your test. And I have also had an experience w/ a bad batch cuvettes (ProTime 3 strips).

So sorry you are having these issues. Believe me, when this gets settle, home testing should be your most reliable way to keep an eye on INR.

 

[bvdr]

And 2.3 at the lab....everyone is losing faith fast in home monitoring

The doc isn't saying too much, but we are having to go with the clinics Pro Time (Not the ProTtime 3 model, checked today).

Nathan called QAS and they are sending out another batch of strips thinking maybe the strips may be bad. Has anyone ever had a bad batch before? Since Nathan started home monitoring, the numbers got wider and wider between the clinic/lab and his own. The tech support was pretty much out of ideas as well.

2nd question--With those having the INRatio, do you use the first sample of blood from finger or do you wipe away the first and use a 2nd sample of blood? Our clinic feels that maybe this may be the culprit for the wider margins. They always use the 2nd sample as the first may be contaminated with alcohol. Our INRatio instructions state to use the first sample?

Sorry for being such a pest!

Ann

Ann, I always wipe off the first little bit of blood and use the blood that follows it instead. I don't want to chance any alteration by alcohol. I know how frustrated you must be!

 

[Ross]

It is entirely possible that the strips are bad. I had a problem with one box a while back. Let us know what happens with the new batch.

 

[twinmaker]

Ann, I have an INRatio machine and I always wipe away the first drop of blood and then test. I wipe my finger after applying the alcohol and before pricking my finger but also wipe that first drop of blood just to be on the safe side. I think the directions that came with the machine also said to wipe away the first drop. Linda

 

[Dennis S]

Alcohol

Alcohol

I wash my hands with soap and hot water. I never saw a need for alcohol, but maybe I am missing something. I am lucky to get 1 drop of blood, let alone a second. So far my INRatio machine has seemed accurate, and has always matched pretty close to the Drs. office.

 

[catwoman]

I bought alcohol prep pads to use with my tests, but stopped after seeing something here about alcohol residue affecting INR results.

I just use antibacterial soap & hot water to wash my hands with before my test.

 

[geebee]

I'm with Dennis. I am lucky to get one drop much less two. I use antibacterial soap and water. Everything seems to be fine except for a bad batch of capillary tubes and a few wasted test strips. Got that problem solved and my INRatio is always testing fairly close to the lab (although the INRatio always shows higher than the lab so I stay on the high end of my range just to be sure).

 

[Natanni]

Update

Update

Nathan checked out at 2.3 with his INRatio today, 2.3 lab and 2.7 on clinics Pro Time! Really thinking it was alcohol residue on finger or a bad strip because he has tested X2 since, and he was 2.3 then as well! He is still using alcohol, but allowing a long dry time after wiping. Thanks for all of your help guys, you were right on