Selecting a INR machine

[lance]

Hello Frank,
Very surprised to read about the 30% inaccuracy rate with Coaguchek S. When I approached my insurance company about coverage of the strips and monitor they replied I should continue with venous draws at the lab because the monitors were useless and dangerous. HOGWASH! They didn't want to cover the costs--so why not just say so than run down a good system. All home monitors are excellent.
However I used my Coaguchek S until it wore out after almost two year's of use without incident. This monitor came highly recommended by a large city hospital. So now I have an XS which is excellent and easier to use than the S because it carries its own on-board controls.

hello Clickerticker
unlike yourself I have problems getting enough blood. My "XS" came with the standard yellow lancets. Could you provide the Cat. Ref. No.of the ones you use that result in a good bleed? I'd like to try and find some. I have some single use T shaped lancets that take a slice that are for use in testing glucose. They don't need the Softclix pen.
Also even though the literature for the XS and "S" claim they both require the same amount of blood I think my XS uses less. Fewer ruined strips anyway.

Bina and Clicker
Gosh you folk are thin-skinned. Softclix set at 3.5? Mine's cranked up to the maximum and I still have to soak my hands in warm water to obtain enough blood. Maybe I'm living in the wrong part of Ontario or should change my residency to the west country in England. Salisbury would be nice and any excuse would do.

 

[Bina]

Lance, you must have working hands with thick skin from doing all those barn chores.
Since my old horse passed away, my hands have become more "girlie" and easily give me a good drop of blood.

 

[lance]

Lance, you must have working hands with thick skin from doing all those barn chores.
Since my old horse passed away, my hands have become more "girlie" and easily give me a good drop of blood.

Lucky you! Don't I wish.

 

[ClickerTicker]

Could you provide the Cat. Ref. No.of the ones you use that result in a good bleed?

Lance
Let me clarify a bit... I found that the yellow (blade type) lancets that came with the XS made me bleed slightly more than my older white (needle type) ones - with the pen set at 3.5 for both. The main difference was that the yellow one's bleed took quite a bit longer to stop. I tried the yellow on 3.0 - but that seemed to result in considerably less blood. I've binned the yellow ones so can't check for part number.

The white one's I use are Accu-Chek Softclix cat no. 0 3307484001 - 28 G / 0.4 mm
These may be a European specific item as the box has info in all sorts of local languages.

 

[Marty]

Tenderlett

Tenderlett

Lance, I use TENDERLETT for finger blood sampling. Very easy to use, always get a good blood drop, with very little pain or trauma to the finger. It takes a slice 1.75 mm. I buy them from QAS.

 

[lance]

Thanks Ron and Marty.
Ron--The lancets I'm using are labelled in several languages too and doesn't mention depth of penetration. These deliver a puncture not a slice.
I have some Accu-Chek Safe-t-Pro lancets that have depth settings of:1.3, 1.8 and 2.3 mm, 23G, 0.65 mm. and these deliver a slice. When I'm in town to-morrow I'll give the pharmacy the Cat. # you gave me for the 28 G ones you use and or contact Roche for more info.
Marty--now that the US and Cdn. dollar are almost at par ....... Do you know the depth they slice at?

Anyway I'd like to stop just short of the 45 calibre Ross offered to loan me a year or two ago.

 

[Marty]

Lance, Go to www.itc.org for detailed info on the TENDERLETT. The one that I like is 1.75mm.

 

[ClickerTicker]

I have some Accu-Chek Safe-t-Pro lancets that have depth settings of:1.3, 1.8 and 2.3 mm, 23G, 0.65 mm

Lance,
I think we're comparing apples and pears here. My guess is the the 28G / 0.44mm labeling on my needles is referring to the diameter of the needle (either in Imperial Standard Wire Gauge or American Wire Gauge), rather than the depth of penetration.
There would be no point (no pun intended ) in having a depth figure on something that is meant for an adjustable depth finger-pricker.
Oh, and Marty, your link looks to be going somewhere you didn't intend...

 

[Marty]

Lance,
I think we're comparing apples and pears here. My guess is the the 28G / 0.44mm labeling on my needles is referring to the diameter of the needle (either in Imperial Standard Wire Gauge or American Wire Gauge), rather than the depth of penetration.
There would be no point (no pun intended ) in having a depth figure on something that is meant for an adjustable depth finger-pricker.
Oh, and Marty, your link looks to be going somewhere you didn't intend...

Thanks, Clicker, I meant to refer to International Technidyne Corporation.I think this is a better link www.itcmed.com .....They have a nice picture showing how the TENDERLETT slices,above the sensitive nerves, rather than punctures which at least in my finger is a good thing.

 

[lance]

Lance,
I think we're comparing apples and pears here. My guess is the the 28G / 0.44mm labeling on my needles is referring to the diameter of the needle (either in Imperial Standard Wire Gauge or American Wire Gauge), rather than the depth of penetration.
There would be no point (no pun intended ) in having a depth figure on something that is meant for an adjustable depth finger-pricker.
Oh, and Marty, your link looks to be going somewhere you didn't intend...

Hi Marty, I'll check your site for Tenderletts. I've contacted Roche for information too. They manufacture the XS.
and,
Clicker, the single-use device with the 3 settings are the depth because I took one apart and there is only 1 cutting surface--a very elongated spade or arrow shaped blade. For me the deeper and larger gauge point the better. Yellow lancetts came with my XS too so they're probably the same as you have.

Maybe one day I'll develop thin skin too.

Many smiles.