Agian
Well-known member
Slept 13 hours today. Spooky 
Out of the waiting room
- Thread starter Agian
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Catie
Well-known member
That's a long snooze! Hope it was good, restorative sleep.
In one of your first posts in this thread, you asked about which meter to use for self testing. A few years ago, I did some comparative testing of the InRatio, CoaguChek XS, Coag-Sense, and Protime. I compared these to each other and to a blood draw.
I ruled out the InRatio right away - the results, in my testing at least, were always higher than the lab results, and often considerably higher than the other meters. The Protime meters are good, but somewhat harder to use consistently, and the strips require refrigeration and aren't as readily available as the CoaguChek XS.
My second choice is the CoaguChek XS. In my testing, the results were often (usually?) higher than the lab results, but within the allowable 30% as specified by the ISO. The XS is readily available, strips are often readily available. Supplies for this meter are easier to get than supplies for the Coag-Sense.
My number one choice is the Coag-Sense. It uses a method of testing that actually detects a physical clot. The learning curve is slightly higher than for the CoaguChek XS. My results are often slightly lower than the lab - but, again, within the 30% margin of error. I don't know about availability of the meter or strips in Australia. To me, having a meter slightly UNDERestimate my INR is preferable to one that OVERestimates it. I am pretty confident that a 2.1 on the meter is at least 2.1 in the lab, and often closer than 2.4 or 2.5 in blood draws. INR testing is not an exact science - even labs can't be considered absolutely accurate.
You'll make your own choice of meter, based on your own personal requirements. The important thing is that you test regularly (weekly?), and keep an ongoing spreadsheet or other record of test time and date, dosage, and anything that you think (dietary changes, activities, illnesses, medications) that may have caused a change in your INR.
I ruled out the InRatio right away - the results, in my testing at least, were always higher than the lab results, and often considerably higher than the other meters. The Protime meters are good, but somewhat harder to use consistently, and the strips require refrigeration and aren't as readily available as the CoaguChek XS.
My second choice is the CoaguChek XS. In my testing, the results were often (usually?) higher than the lab results, but within the allowable 30% as specified by the ISO. The XS is readily available, strips are often readily available. Supplies for this meter are easier to get than supplies for the Coag-Sense.
My number one choice is the Coag-Sense. It uses a method of testing that actually detects a physical clot. The learning curve is slightly higher than for the CoaguChek XS. My results are often slightly lower than the lab - but, again, within the 30% margin of error. I don't know about availability of the meter or strips in Australia. To me, having a meter slightly UNDERestimate my INR is preferable to one that OVERestimates it. I am pretty confident that a 2.1 on the meter is at least 2.1 in the lab, and often closer than 2.4 or 2.5 in blood draws. INR testing is not an exact science - even labs can't be considered absolutely accurate.
You'll make your own choice of meter, based on your own personal requirements. The important thing is that you test regularly (weekly?), and keep an ongoing spreadsheet or other record of test time and date, dosage, and anything that you think (dietary changes, activities, illnesses, medications) that may have caused a change in your INR.
Agian
Well-known member
Thanks for the advice
