OT: the new Arkray Glucocard 01 SENSOR "Plus" test strips

[Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)]

Hi Everyone,

I recently received a shipment from ADW of Arkray Glucocard 01 Sensor test strips, which I use with my Arkray Glucocard 01 and Glucocard 01 Mini meters (and which many of you use with the Relion Confirm and Relion Micro meters). The strips have been re-designed and now are designated Glucocard 01 Sensor PLUS.

The information sheet included in the box contains dire warnings about blood contamination if used by multiple users. Furthermore, it states that: "This modified strip is for Single-Patient use only and cleaning and disinfecting your system is now required" (emphasis mine). It gives detailed instructions for cleaning and disinfecting (minimum of once a week) with the "validated" Clorox Germicidal Wipes that contain an active ingredient of 0.55% Sodium Hypochlorite.

And, it cautions that "over time, cleaning and disinfecting may cause meter and lancing device deterioration. ARKRAY has validated a 4 year use life by exposing the meter and lancing device to 832 wipes (416 cycles) with the disinfectant product listed above. This supports cleaning and disinfection twice per week over the 4 year use life of the device."

I believe that all of this has to do with the age of Ebola and other blood-borne diseases. Only the outside of the meter needs to be cleaned (not the place where the test strip is inserted). So I don't think it has anything to do with the function or accuracy of the meter. In fact, looking at their list of "physical signs of deterioration" [of the meter], it would seem that it is better for the meter NOT to do any of this "required" cleaning and disinfecting.

One final caution: Arkray, of course, always states that their test strips are only to be used with Arkray meters. The Walmart Relion Confirm and Micro meters supposedly are Walmart's branding of the Arkray Glucocard 01 and Glucocard 01 Mini. But when you use the new test strips on your Relion meters, I think it would be prudent to take notes. Perhaps save a box of the old Sensor strips (without the "PLUS" designation) and do some comparison tests. In fact, I think it would be prudent for those of us who use the Arkray meters to do the same.

Always something new to worry about!!

Ella & Rusty

 

[tiffmaxee]

Thanks for the heads up on this Ella. It is hard enough to deal with FD without the constant roadblocks we face. I hope the new strips will work with the Relion. I now expect to read that the Relion strips will be changed to Plus as well, sigh. I just had t throw out a pack of 50 because I didn't pay attention to the date. One box still worked but I got error messages with the other on a few strips so threw them out. So a warning to the others if you buy a lot make sure to use them in the order of expiration.

 

[Anne & Zener GA]

Oh good grief, this sort of stuff makes a bean stress even more.

 

[fun2doimpossible]

In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "AAUUGGGHHH!!!!"

 

[carfurby (GA)]

Thanks for the warning Ella. Just something else we have to worry about.

 

[Deb & Wink]

Yes, I got a box of the new glucocard 01 plus strips myself a few weeks ago. The literature insisting that the meter had to be disinfected once a week sounds like CYA "Lawyer speak" to me. I've decided to ignore that cleaning recommendation. Only one cat gets tested using that meter. Blood borne diseases from cat to human seem too unlikely to me, to follow this cleaning recommendation.

The new strips do seem to "sip" up the blood easier than the old style strips. I was expecting the opposite, so was pleasantly surprised by how well the sipping action works on that tiny test area.