[Shotokan]

Alright, everybody get your meters out and let's do some tests.

First, for each meter you have use one sample of blood from a finger to get a reading from each meter for that blood sample. Line your meters up and put a droplet on each test strip, then record the results.

Second, repeat the process after one or two minutes with another blood sample taken from the same or another finger.

If you only have one meter, then just do two tests on the same meter one or two minutes apart.

My BG was pretty high when I did the test. Here are my results:

Meter........................First sample...Second sample...Difference...Average
One-Touch UltraSmart............226..................248.... ..........22.......237
Freestyle Flash......................256..................23 0..............26.......243
Accu-Chek Compact...............239..................236.... ...........3........237.5

[lgvincent]

I tend to check my meter against lab results rather than each other.

[sbuff28@charter]

I've never done all 3 of my meters before so i was curious.

Freestyle Flash - 130 123
One Touch - 124 118
BD Logic Medtronic - 127 107


The test in the first colum is from my left middle finger and the second is from my thumb....mabye thats why all my tests were lower the 2nd time.

[psilocybin]

Originally Posted by Shotokan

Alright, everybody get your meters out and let's do some tests.

First, for each meter you have use one sample of blood from a finger to get a reading from each meter for that blood sample. Line your meters up and put a droplet on each test strip, then record the results.

Second, repeat the process after one or two minutes with another blood sample taken from the same or another finger.

If you only have one meter, then just do two tests on the same meter one or two minutes apart.

My BG was pretty high when I did the test. Here are my results:

Meter........................First sample...Second sample...Difference...Average
One-Touch UltraSmart............226..................248.... ..........22.......237
Freestyle Flash......................256..................23 0..............26.......243
Accu-Chek Compact...............239..................236.... ...........3........237.5

so judging by your results the accu chek was the most accurate for you

[Shotokan]

Yes, the Compact was most consistent, but it's a very small sample. I can't really hang my hat on it. That's why I'm trying to get more people to do it..increase the sample size.

It's true that testing against lab values is the gold standard, but we'd have to wait weeks or months for people to respond to that.

And you can't really rely on a single comparison of your meter to one lab value. You would know the error for that one reading but you would not know the average error unless you repeated it many times. As you can see, there is a fair amount of variation, even with the same meter, so on a single reading you could get very lucky or very unlucky comparing it to the lab value.

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Shotokan

Alright, everybody get your meters out and let's do some tests.

First, for each meter you have use one sample of blood from a finger to get a reading from each meter for that blood sample. Line your meters up and put a droplet on each test strip, then record the results.

Second, repeat the process after one or two minutes with another blood sample taken from the same or another finger.

If you only have one meter, then just do two tests on the same meter one or two minutes apart.

My BG was pretty high when I did the test. Here are my results:

Meter........................First sample...Second sample...Difference...Average
One-Touch UltraSmart............226..................248.... ..........22.......237
Freestyle Flash......................256..................23 0..............26.......243
Accu-Chek Compact...............239..................236.... ...........3........237.5

I moved your thread to Monitoring, so that more people could see (& maybe partake in the testing of their meters) it & respond. I'll definitely try mine out later on. I have the One Touch UltraSmart, Freestyle Flash & Reli-On Ultima meters that I can try out. Are there specific meters you were looking to compare, or does anything go?

[Shotokan]

Thanks Dewey, I didn't know about this thread. I think we should look at all meters. We will get more results from some meters than others, but we should be able to learn something about all of them.

[condensr]

Onetouch Ultrasmart: 153 129 135
Freestyle Flash: 157 165

[sbuff28@charter]

You would need hundreds of samples to conclude anything significant about the accuracy of the specific kinds of meters. I think right now all it only shows is how the meters can vary drasticly.... almost 20%, The One touch even shows on the test strip bottle that its between 112 and 150 for the control... which is actually pretty bad! Even if it is a Normal distribution....

[sbuff28@charter]

On the same topic as before...


My professor for my class Im taking Applied engineering statistics, makes a firm point to show us exactly how data can be squewed and influenced by whoever toook the data. Believe me that the Qualitry Control Manager at these companies that put out this data ARE misleading you in the data. They'll use confidence intervals and factor in legal obligations and exactly how much they can get away with to mislead you and get you to buy their product. Its all about maximizing profits for all large companies. especially when it comes to advertising.


So it would be really good if we could get the information for ourselves that is unbiased

[lelggren]

My results are as follows: Flash=> 1. 298 2. 281
Ultrasmart => 1. 284 2. 263

My bg's were high when I did these because smart kid me forgot to take my metformin this morning, but my question is, which meter is giving the right reading? The Ultrasmart's reading is certainly more pleasing to the eye, but is it right??? Hmmmm......

[spike]

Originally Posted by Shotokan

Alright, everybody get your meters out and let's do some tests.

First, for each meter you have use one sample of blood from a finger to get a reading from each meter for that blood sample. Line your meters up and put a droplet on each test strip, then record the results.

Second, repeat the process after one or two minutes with another blood sample taken from the same or another finger.

If you only have one meter, then just do two tests on the same meter one or two minutes apart.

My BG was pretty high when I did the test. Here are my results:

Meter........................First sample...Second sample...Difference...Average
One-Touch UltraSmart............226..................248.... ..........22.......237
Freestyle Flash......................256..................23 0..............26.......243
Accu-Chek Compact...............239..................236.... ...........3........237.5

It's no wonder meter companies stress that one can't compare meter readings from one brand or model to the next. Expecting different meters to read the same at various bg levels is an exercise in utter futility. Just when you think 2 meters agree, you'll run across a disparity that makes you wonder "which meter should I believe right now??". I've gotten myself in trouble more than once by checking my bg with one meter and then picking up a different meter a while later to find a drastic change in the readings. Acting on those numbers has caused me to inject a corrective bolus when I shouldn't have.

I think we should all get familar with the meter we want to rely on, and use that one exclusively (I'm one to talk! I still use several meters!).

Even by using the same drop of blood, I'll get a variation from one test to the next on any meter I've tested, so how can we expect different meters to agree? they don't even agree with themselves!!!

[pbmax]

was at the doc on Monday 3rd april 06 and they use the Accucheck and I use the ultrasmart..
Blood from the same stick pruduced a 90mg on the Accucheck and 30sec later 88mg on the ultrasmart

[seacomp]

Originally Posted by pbmax

a 90mg on the Accucheck and 30sec later 88mg on the ultrasmart

That's as near identical as you'd ever expect to see. And Darn good numbers!

[spike]

Originally Posted by seacomp

That's as near identical as you'd ever expect to see. And Darn good numbers!

Don't expect such close numbers when your blood sugar is in the 200-300 range! They might differ by more than 50 points.