What do you guys think about this?

[SHerrin Hutt]

Protime

Protime

Hi Rain,
I use a protime machine since last faLL. I have several mixed reading too! Last week I took my machine to the Dr. office which have the same one, and ran them at the same time. And they did a lab draw too! Mine was 2.4 their was 2.7 and the lab was 2.7 also. I think they are pretty close. But my prroblem is the reading are pretty much where they want them but I am still have the red dots. Every week - seems to only show up after I have shaved my legs. First it is the red dots them after they fade my top layer of skin peels off like I had a sun burn. I mention this to my cardiologist and they didn't seemed concerned. They itch and burn when you take a bath. I have had trouble with my INR from the beginning that is why my insurance co. payed for the machine. Lately I have been under a great deal of stress. My mother is getting ready for a serious aneyurim sergery. And this weekend they put my 29 yr. old daughter in the hosp. in Boston for kindney and heart problems. Still waiting on the test results. She may have to have surgery on her kindeys if the abesses don"t get smaller. This web sight is such a big help to see that you are not the only one with some different problems. I like to thank everyone ffor the support and great information. Have geat week. Sherrin Valve 3/02

 

[ALCapshaw2]

NEW vs. OLD Coaguchek Machines

NEW vs. OLD Coaguchek Machines

Marty raised an interesting point about the two different Coaguchek Machines.

My original Coumadin Lab (in the Cardiologists facility) used a NEW Coaguchek machine. I found two instances where it's readings were considerably higher than my Protime, yet I had NO symptoms (no bruising, no bleeding).

I switched to another Coumadin Lab run by my local Hospital. They use an OLD Coaguchek machine. The CRNP told me they had tried the NEW machine but could not get good correlation with their Lab draws. The OLD machine has been within 0.1 units of my Lab draws. My Protime machine is somewhat off from their old Coaguchek (and lab) but tracks consistently so I feel comfortable using it.

FWIW, I just recently learned that the Cardiologist's Lab has gone to another machine because 'THEY' discovered that they could not guarantee consistent calibration from their new Coaguchek machine (This 'discovery' came after I showed my data to my cardiologist The lab tech's have been told to direct any questions about calibration or the machines to the lab director and not to answer any questions!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Sierra Bob]

I had my "ProTime" home tested INR checked against the hospital lab on 2/18/03. ProTime = 3.2 Lab= 3.7 I wasn't overly concerned because my cardiologist wants me between 3.0 & 4.0.

I had it tested again on 6/12/03 on our return from our 60 day travel trailer trip. ProTime=3.6 Lab=4.7 Difference=1.1 Hummmm!!! On 6/13 ProTime=3.3 On 6/30 ProTime=3.9 Coagucheck in my cardiologist's office =5.0 Difference=1.1 Hummmm again. Which should I believe?

My cardiologist said as long as I remain above 3.0 and below 4.5 with the ProTime System not to be concerned! He said different reagents and methods give different results. I thought the purpose of an INR was to do away with differences as compared to protime (small "p"&"t") Hummmmm!!!!!! once more!!

In the past (3/00), I got to 11.4 (lab) before I started bleeding and spent a week in the hospital.

Rain, what was your final outcome with QAS regarding your ProTime machine?

Yesterday I had my annual stress test. Last year the cardiologist stopped the tread mill when my heart rate reached the target maximum for my age. He was satisfied with the results. This year I didn't even exceed 85% of my target when he finally stopped the machine. Not bad for a survivor of a quad bypass, aortic valve replacement and surgery plus radiation for Head & Neck Cancer in '99,whom will be 71 in 22 days and the most exercise he's had for two months was walking between the truck and trailer as we traveled through 15 states and dodged many tornados. ;-)

 

[Michele]

Sierra Bob,

When you do your testing against the lab are you doing it at the exact same time? There could be some variance based on what the ISI is at the lab versus the ISI of our machine.

You can always contact one of our nurses or our technical support line if you have any concerns. Their number is 1-800-298-4515.

 

[Rain]

Nice hearing from you!

Nice hearing from you!

Hey Bob,

I haven?t seen you around in ages.... now I know why. Sounds like you are doing well and enjoying life with your travel trailer. Yea!! But Bob... you know you should be walking! I think I told you one time, I had a hysterectomy due to cervical cancer, that was in Sept. 95..... Thankfully, I?ve been cancer free for 7 years!!

Ya oughta come visit Colorado.....we don?t have tornados! At least not in my part of the state. Only natural disasters we have are fires and floods. We?re pretty safe there.... every thing has already burned and it never rains anymore!!! JUST KIDDING..... It?s green and beautiful here.

I?m so sorry to hear you are having problems with your Protime machine. Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be. I just about drove myself nuts (and QAS too) trying to figure it all out. We did finally work it through until I had satisfactory results. Through the process I found there are a lot of things that can screw up your results. Call QAS and talk to Michelle or Lance. They?ll help you figure out what?s going on... they have great support.

Let me know if I can help.

 

[QAS]

Reply

Reply

Please see Evelyn's post in the Coumadin section regarding ProTime vs. Coaguchek. Her post may give you some peace of mind.

QAS
Lance

 

[Sierra Bob]

INR

INR

Michele--No the ProTime and lab test were not done at exactly the same time. I did my ProTime INR at 1:30 PM. My physician drew blood at about 2:15 PM. The blood is then sent to a hospital lab about 25 miles away. I don't know when the sample was actually run. I do know that in March, 2000, (prior to my having ProTime) when this lab got an INR of 11.4 and I spent a week in the hospital, my physician did not call me until after 11:00 PM that night. So, I assume a substantial amount of time transpired between the draw and the actual running of the sample. In the case of the ProTime and Coagucheck test, they were done within minutes of each other. In both cases the tests showed a difference of 1.1, or about 30%. This difference just appears to be too great for me regardless of any time difference. I do not believe an INR changes that much that rapidly. I don't know how contacting a QAS nurse is going to help me. I do not have any trouble using ProTime. She certainly can not tell me which INR is correct, which is what I want to know. But thanks for your interest. Sierra Bob

Rain--We spent 3 days in Colorado Springs on our trip. You're right. No tornados, but lots of wind the first day. Traveling through Kansas on our way to Colorado, a town was partially destroyed right after we went through it by a tornado. What did you work through with QAS to get satisfactory results? Bob

Lance--I read all of Evelyn's posts in the Coumadin section under "ProTime vs. Coagucheck" None gave me any peace of mine. I still don't know if my ProTime is acturate. Also thanks for your interest. Any other suggestions?

 

[Davidcv67]

Money, Money, Money, Moneeeeeey!!

Money, Money, Money, Moneeeeeey!!

I was thinking about purchasing a machine for home testing but this posting makes me wonder!

I can't judge this company we are talking with here because I know nothing about them....I will say though, obviously companies exist to make money and the LAST thing they want to do is swap used equipment with new. I know because I deal with this type of thing all the time with my company. (We distribute/service copiers....although it is not equipment that is life or death like the Protime machines...you would never know it by talking to a customer with a copier that keeps breaking down!)

It is a huge financial hit to a company's bottom line to swap out used with new...the used comes back and cannot be resold, so the company loses. When front line people who take customer complaints approach management to swap out machines it is usually a mega process and not something that happens cheerily!

Management is on the hook to 'make plan' so their view of the situation is not usually as empathetic towards the customer as the employee who deals directly with the customer.

It is a wicked world!!