Re: Ketone meter reads low-Gretchen

[Guest guest]

Hi Gretchen,

I think you will find that the reason for this is that a fingerprick blood

sample from a home metre is 'diluted' with plasma etc from a capillary test.

Whereas Lab bhb tests are usually taken direct from the vein.

We add 30% to home tests to get a rough lab vein equivalent, (asked our

lab how much to add once we realised this, and they approximated this figure

for us) and comparisons in hospital with since then have usually

shown this to be pretty accurate.

If you take your own reading of 5.4 and add 30 % (1.62) this gets a total

of 7.02, which is pretty close to your lab one.

If the lab one was capillary as well, then um, pass.....

The bhb references given by Freeman are all vein, not capillary based btw,

when they did their study all the metres used were calibrated to equate to

vein readings.

----- Original Message -----

> About the MediSense Precision Xtra meter:

> We use it. It was developed for diabeties patients. We get a

> lowere ketone reader on it than the blood labs get. We suspected

> this, and then to test it one day we did a stick with the Precision

> meter just before a lab draw. The lab test was 6.9 and our

> Precision ketone read was 5.4. So, others may want to check their

> meters as well.

[Guest guest]

Perhaps once the use of these metres is more well known as a tool for the

keto diet, some info like this will be included on the manufacturing info or

something.

For a diabetic, (as you say, it's main purpose) when blood ketones show,

it means something is wrong, it's not the actual value so much, just the

fact that ketones show in the blood for them is a red flag. So exact vein

equivalents isn't a neccessary thing for them.

's doing fine thanks, still having those acid/alkaline swings

(cycling from topmax/diet induced acidosis) with a recommendation from our

hospital to start a bicarb supplement, but at this point we are waiting on

repeat bloods and holding everything as is. It doesn't seem to be affecting

him adversely in any way, and as he has maintained seizure control

throughout it all, I would be loath to start playing around with adding

anything.

His carnitine result has also come back as abnormal, really deficient

again ......but same deal - he is not symptomatic and hasn't had seizures

as a result, so holding fire on that one too.

School hols here for 2 weeks, so our biggest challenge right now is

keeping him (and the other 2 kiddies) busy. Counting the days.....

----- Original Message -----

> Thanks for the information, . It explains why we have the

> different readings. I didn't know about this difference early in

> the diet, and when Ethan's ketones were low (3.2 or something like

> it, on our home meter) we raised his ratio to 4.5:1. That was a

> tough few months, and now I wonder if it was even necessary. Oh

> well, that is looking back. But maybe others can use this

> information to avoid the same mistake.

> Hey, how's doing? Is he feeling well? I've been out of

> touch a few weeks.

> Thanks for your input. YOu are vital to this group!

> Gretchen

[Guest guest]

HI ,

I'm glad to hear is doing well. Is he still taking

topomax? How old are your other two kids?

Gretchen

> Perhaps once the use of these metres is more well known as a

tool for the

> keto diet, some info like this will be included on the

manufacturing info or

> something.

> For a diabetic, (as you say, it's main purpose) when blood

ketones show,

> it means something is wrong, it's not the actual value so much,

just the

> fact that ketones show in the blood for them is a red flag. So

exact vein

> equivalents isn't a neccessary thing for them.

> 's doing fine thanks, still having those acid/alkaline

swings

> (cycling from topmax/diet induced acidosis) with a recommendation

from our

> hospital to start a bicarb supplement, but at this point we are

waiting on

> repeat bloods and holding everything as is. It doesn't seem to be

affecting

> him adversely in any way, and as he has maintained seizure control

> throughout it all, I would be loath to start playing around with

adding

> anything.

> His carnitine result has also come back as abnormal, really

deficient

> again ......but same deal - he is not symptomatic and hasn't

had seizures

> as a result, so holding fire on that one too.

> School hols here for 2 weeks, so our biggest challenge right now

is

> keeping him (and the other 2 kiddies) busy. Counting the

days.....

>

>

>

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " gretchen_kissock "

>

> > Thanks for the information, . It explains why we have the

> > different readings. I didn't know about this difference early

in

> > the diet, and when Ethan's ketones were low (3.2 or something

like

> > it, on our home meter) we raised his ratio to 4.5:1. That was

a

> > tough few months, and now I wonder if it was even necessary.

Oh

> > well, that is looking back. But maybe others can use this

> > information to avoid the same mistake.

> > Hey, how's doing? Is he feeling well? I've been out of

> > touch a few weeks.

> > Thanks for your input. YOu are vital to this group!

> > Gretchen