Roche have told be email not to use there machine if I have antiphosolipid symdrome they denied that there is any problems with batches of test strips and seem to just be burry there head in the sand in this hole fiasco concerning batches of total inaccurate test strips results !
Had here rumours on social media about problems with test strips so when I saw prof hunt at st Thomas hospital Tuesday asked if I could have a Venus blood test and a comparison test with my machine .
Went to guys hospital yesterday to run tests
Venus 4.1 my test strips 5.1 !!!
On my way home picked up new batch of test strips from my pharmacy went straight home tested new batch no.311 same result 5.1 tested another strip 5.2
Obviously with batch is bad to
Going to pharmacy this morning to pick up New coagucheck strips hopefully this batch will be ok
Nothing wrong with my machine as put coagucheck strips guys hospital where using in my machine and results where the same as there hand held machine !
So it can only be test strips that are faulty
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Tim_Thorpe
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This is all so worrying and frustrating for those that have been incouraged to use the strips. What a cop out by Roche, I am not on warfarin but I do remember Prof Hunt years ago promoting home testing. I presume she is aware of all these problems?
Spoke to prof hunt Secatary yesterday who seemed uninterested said prof could not be contacted and put me through to an answer machine of one of the thrombosis nurses who is away on holiday untill the 30 July !!!!
Was at st Thomas on Tuesday told prof that there seemed to be a problem with test strips she told me she was unaware of any problems
Bit werd as I had briefly spoken to a consultant who said that there had been problems and some only found out after having a clotting avent!!! 😐
Seems every one burry there head in the sand about this major flaw in a bad batch of test strips 😡
not sure that a bunch of yellow cards from APS patients is helpful - Roche has always said it can misread with APS and effectively that we use at our risk. Many NHS clinics have a massive investment in coaguchek and thousands and thousands patients who don't have APS, and if the information I have (and have posted about in the previous threads) is correct the issue is showing up there. The data from those thousands of patients and the commercial pressure from NHS will be far more persuasive and has already been brought to bear judging from my phone call with Roche. Things at going to happen, only question is what and when. Meantime it's venous every time.
I'm a little foggy on this series of messages. I am tested in clinic every 2-4 weeks on a test strip. They prick my finger and grab a tiny bit of blood on a test strip and then inset into a machine. In 60-90 seconds the small machine beeps and displays a number. I don't know the brand name of the tester. Is this the same system in question?
But I would think every day the run a comparison test against the strips and a Venus blood test to make test strips are ok 👍 I think it’s a bad batch of strips running from around 290 to 311 but not definitely sure at the moment
If your going to hospital for blood test I’m sure the results will be very reliable
I don't think clinics do run a comparison check going by the conversation I had with my clinic the other day. Firstly they are unaware of any issue with readings. I forwarded the letter Yellek sent me on to them to read. As a result we will compare tests in clinic, my machine, their machine, my strips, their strips and vein so everything covered. I just have to turn up with my machine and strips. I personally have had no problems with strips including the numbers others are complaining about. So hardly conclusive the strips are to blame, but we'll see.
They should do for APS patients. Some do for other patients too, that is how this issue was found according to my info (I am not aware what triggered the checks, whether it was routine monitoring or whether it was clotting events, in a patient population of several thousand it could easily be the latter).
> Firstly they are unaware of any issue with readings
That makes sense if they don't do any comparison checks...
> As a result we will compare tests in clinic, my machine, their machine, my strips, their
> strips and vein so everything covered.
This is what I had to do to start self-testing and what is done again at every review.
Yes most of us do that when starting self testing but we're doing it again because of the recent issues raised. My reference to comparison tests that you've quoted part of was in response to a person saying " But I would think every day the run a comparison test against the strips and a Venus blood test to make test strips are ok"
I had a period of clinic double tests (venous and finger) over several months before I was considered for self-test (or for fingerprick in clinic) and then a three-way check, venous, clinic finger test and my finger test done in clinic (under observation) - checks your machine and your technique. That three-way cross check is repeated at every review (every few months). If there is any discrepancy can (and have) further cross check by using clinic strips in my machine and visa versa.
As to whether they do general comparison test checks for all (not-just-APS), I think they do and that's how they found this. Every day? - could be, one random patient per-day across several thousand total (in my area) is a level that you'd have very little chance of ever seeing/noticing it, quite possibly a lot of clinic staff could even be unaware of it. Actually I think it may have been a higher rate than that, because that would only give 100 or so samples (it is < 6 months worth given timescales that we know) to see a pattern in and I don't think that is enough because not every batch is faulty and not every test strip in the faulty batches (my 311s are giving me anything from zero to 0.6 difference, in same week).
My problem been with 311 didn’t say I had a problem with 309
If your not having a problem that’s great for you other people are !
I went to guys hospital Friday Venus 4.1
My test strips 5.1
Guys hospital test strips 4.3
My machine with guys test strip and chip 4.3
So my strips are over reading massively ! Could be telling my blood inr is in my Range when really I should be injecting with fragmine 💉 all ready suffered a major stroke and made a miraculous recovery don’t want to have another one thank you
I can't see a discrepancy of .1 is much of an issue or would lead you to believe the batch of strips is dodgy but each to their own. How do you conclude your strips are massively over reading. You give a difference of .2 maximum?
Nor have you said what your normal vein reading would be.
We all have a difference between vein and fingerprick but you arn't saying what your difference normally is.
Did the comparison test etc when I first got machine years ago I have have no unusual anti body’s that can some times interfere with test strips giving a faulse high reading
Prof hunt has told me I can use machine
It’s is my test strip batch that is faulty showing a reading of 5.1 against hospital finger prick machine 4.3 ok the problem is with my bad batch of strips nurse throw them in bin !!!!!
When I used hospital test strips in my machine test result was 4.3 exactly the same as the coagucheck check machine
If you actually read my reply you responded to you would know I'm planning on doing exactly that next week. I don't see a reason to panic just because someone else has an issue so yes it's perfectly valid to say I haven't had a problem. Plus I currently have 3 packs of strips here so can do my own comparison readings between strips. Why do people say "With all due respect" when being rude?
A reminder to everybody on this thread to calm down and treat each other with respect, it is very hot and we all probably hot and bothered, no name calling or abusive comments please. MaryF
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Self-Testing with Coagucheck XS???
Hi is the Coagucheck s system current? & can you get the strips for this machine
Are you self managing Warfarin?
Self testing
