Question on my new INRatio

[Karlynn]

Got my new INRatio machine - woo hoo! Did my first test today. It was so easy. Didn't need as much blood as my ProTime. I had no problem getting the drop in the well (am I talented or what?!). I also tested w/ my ProTime because I know that it is very accurate. (The battery is shot, so I got the new INRatio) Here's the question - my ProTime reading was 3.0, the INRatio was 3.6. Are we still operating off the assumption that the INRatio tends to run .6 higher than other machines and lab draws?

 

[Ross]

I wish someone would confirn this, but no one has. This is what I'm seeing Karlynn, so I'm only assuming correct. I try to keep mine at 3.5 to acheive a 2.9 at the lab.

 

[Mike C]

No confirmation here but i run .5 or .6 higher and take that into consideration for my range as well.

Mike

 

[geebee]

Likewise - I run about .4 - .6 higher on the INRatio than the lab so I work on staying at the high end of my range.

Congrats on getting the blood into the well. I have not been able to do it so I use a capillary tube.

Have fun - it's a great machine.

 

[Deuce]

Same here , however I didn't realize that the Inratio machine did that . I tested at the cardiologists office on Friday and got a 2.4 on the machine and felt pretty good about it and then had blood drawn for a lab test at about the same time . It came back at 1.8. My initial response was that either I have a defective machine or that the lab made a mistake. Now I know. I think.??
Thanks for the info.

 

[Karlynn]

Same here , however I didn't realize that the Inratio machine did that . I tested at the cardiologists office on Friday and got a 2.4 on the machine and felt pretty good about it and then had blood drawn for a lab test at about the same time . It came back at 1.8. My initial response was that either I have a defective machine or that the lab made a mistake. Now I know. I think.??
Thanks for the info.

I'm a little confused - was it your INRatio machine that had the 2.4, or was it a machine at the doctor's office? If so, what was the machine?

The INRatio is a specific brand. Most doctor's machines are Coaguchecks and some ProTimes. I would trust these over the lab's results. You never know the path the vial of blood took before getting tested....How long did it sit around?...Was it warm or cool?

 

[Deuce]

Sorry about the confusion.
It was my Inratio machine that I took to the doctors office that registered 2.4.
I don't know about the path of the vial of blood they drew.They don't test it there so it had to be sent out. I don't know how long it sat around.They put a stat order on it so that they could determine a dosage change. I would guess there were probably temperature variations between the office and the lab.

 

[Natanni]

For the first few months, Nathan's INR was off from the ProTime by .6 consistantly (but I don't remember which direction!!) I will have to go back and look at my posts here. He would bring his INRatio and test against the ProTime right on the spot. They did adjust his dosage at one point because of the difference. Now, when he has tested at home on the same day as the clinic, and they have been exactly the same. Go figure. The coumadin clinic said he can just call in his INR if he has questions.

 

[Karlynn]

Sorry about the confusion.
It was my Inratio machine that I took to the doctors office that registered 2.4.
I don't know about the path of the vial of blood they drew.They don't test it there so it had to be sent out. I don't know how long it sat around.They put a stat order on it so that they could determine a dosage change. I would guess there were probably temperature variations between the office and the lab.

So it seems that your INRatio has the same discrepancy. None of us know the route a vial of blood takes, which is why we tend to be a bit suspect of too high or too low lab results until they are confirmed. In this case, I would guess that the lab was right.

Looks like I'll just figure that I need to keep my INR a bit higher. I have to go in for my 6 mo. cardio visit soon, so I'll take the INRatio along to compare against their Coagucheck.

 

[Marty]

Got my new INRatio machine - woo hoo! Did my first test today. It was so easy. Didn't need as much blood as my ProTime. I had no problem getting the drop in the well (am I talented or what?!). I also tested w/ my ProTime because I know that it is very accurate. (The battery is shot, so I got the new INRatio) Here's the question - my ProTime reading was 3.0, the INRatio was 3.6. Are we still operating off the assumption that the INRatio tends to run .6 higher than other machines and lab draws?

Congrats on getting the drop directly from your finger in the well. I never mastered the technique , thus need to use capillary tubes.

 

[Ross]

Congrats on getting the drop directly from your finger in the well. I never mastered the technique , thus need to use capillary tubes.

Marty I think she cheats! I don't care how centered I have my finger above the well, when the blood drops, it runs all around it, not into it.

 

[Christine]

heck, i'm just trying to out enough in the first place.. i'm yo-yo'ing because of lifestyle changes - just moved, going to school online - totaly single again.. yada yada yada - so i'm testing more freqently and sometimes it takes 4-6 sticks before I finally get enough.. can someone say ouch

Chris

 

[Ross]

How closely should the INRatio correlate to my current lab?
The INR value depends on many factors. For more information please see the Technical Bulletins. However as per the ISO 17593 draft titled “Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems in vitro monitoring systems for anticoagulant therapy”: Below INR 2.0, 90% of results shall be within +/- 0.5 INR, and between 2.0 to 4.0, 90% of results shall be within +/- 30%. back to top

What should be the time interval between tests if I am doing a correlation study?
The time interval between the finger stick performed on the INRatio and venous draw for the reference lab, should not be more than1 hour. back to top

For anything not answered, here is a link to many publications and tech documents:

http://www.hemosense.com/support/productlit.shtml

 

[Cris N]

Marty I think she cheats! I don't care how centered I have my finger above the well, when the blood drops, it runs all around it, not into it.

Granted I'm new to this but I wait til I have a nice big drop ready to fall and then I barely touch the drop to the strip - it grabs the whole thing & seems to be quite happy. Works pretty much the same as the capillary tube.

heck, i'm just trying to out enough in the first place.. i'm yo-yo'ing because of lifestyle changes - just moved, going to school online - totaly single again.. yada yada yada - so i'm testing more freqently and sometimes it takes 4-6 sticks before I finally get enough.. can someone say ouch

Chris

Maybe you need a larger stick device? Or have it go deeper?

 

[geebee]

I do not know what the secret is but I cannot get a blood drop to work either. I have ruined way too many expensive strips trying so I use the capillary tubes also. Haven't ruined a strip since.

 

[Karlynn]

On my one and only test so far, I got a drop of blood hanging off my finger and just barely touched it to the well, and as Cris said, it got sucked in. It took less blood than my ProTime. Maybe that's why it was easy for me, I'm used to having to milk the heck out of my finger to get blood for the ProTime cuvette.

 

[Ross]

Well nothing aggravates me more then having a nice drop of blood perfectly centered over the well, but when it hits, goes all around the rim and not in it!

 

[Guest]

It is about a thousand times easier to do it on someone else than it is on yourself. If you have someone who can do it try that.

Sit roughly facing each other with the tester at the end of the table between you. The person doing the sticking gets your little finger between their thumb and first finger. The tip of the little finger is near the palm of their hand. They firmly clamp off the little finger trapping as much blood as possible. They never let go of the little finger until the blood is safely on the strip. The person doing the sticking imagines a line from the outside edge of the finger nail to the center of the fingerprint. About halfway along this line the stick is made with the sticking device in the right hand. (Do this whether you are right or left handed.) Put the sticking device down and with the right hand push very hard opposite the hole. With the left hand still in place holding the little finger guide the blood drop onto the target. The person being stuck must always keep the hand relaxed and let the other person be in-charge.

 

[Dennis S]

That's some of the best advice I ever got!

That's some of the best advice I ever got!

I got this tip from Al a few months ago. I went from the occasional 6 sticks for 1 reading down to 1 each & every time. I even got to where I didn't need the capillary tubes. Before my wife started helping me I was maxed out on the sticking device, power walking about a mile, windmilling my arms & running hot water over my fingers just to get enough blood for a reading-and even so i was successful less than 50% of the time. For those who have problems like I did-following this advice can make a huge difference.

 

[Karlynn]

Not to mention what fun it is for the spouse or SO to inflict some pain, but all in a good cause!