Reviews by our members

• 5

  2 out of 2 members found this review helpful

  gio_marvel

  2024-05-22

  I have it for daily INR control, for about 1 year.
  Very easy to use, and if something happens, the company has immediate response in order to solve the problem.

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• 5

  2 out of 2 members found this review helpful

  Geri_Geri

  2023-03-06

  Verified purchase

  The entire menu is in Greek.
  Very good instructions for use.
  Very easy to use.
  Just place the strip and the blood drop on the strip and it will display the measurement shortly.
  I don't know how reliable the measurement is, but you get an image of where the INR is.
  It's a bit tricky to place the drop exactly where it should be.
  It also requires a good drop.
  I have wasted several strips until I managed to do it.
  It also comes with needles and a lancet in the set.
  The strips are a bit expensive (I bought them for 50 euros per box of 24, but I saw that they are sold for up to 70 euros).
  For occasional measurements (until you learn to stabilize your INR through diet), I think it is very helpful.

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• 5

  6 out of 7 members found this review helpful

  Ioannis_Anifantakis

  2021-01-06

  The CoaguChek (Coagulation Check) is a reliable way to IMMEDIATELY measure the INR (International Normalized Ratio) for blood clotting (the CoaguChek is used as a reliable device in the medical field in hospitals and clinics).

  In my opinion, it is necessary for ALL individuals who have unstable INR (especially if they also have problems with the liver - which regulates blood clotting - in addition to anticoagulants).

  The cost of the machine is high, but you buy it once and it's worth it. Unfortunately, there is no competition from other companies in INR measuring machines and the prices have remained high for years.

  The cost of the test strips is also high, I hope their price will gradually decrease.

  How does it work? Each strip contains crystals. The CoaguChek measures the time it takes for these crystals to clot when they come into contact with your blood. The slower they clot, the thinner the blood, which is why in measurements where the INR is high, you will notice that the response for the measurement is delayed.

  The maximum measurement value is 8. Values above 8 are displayed as ">8" (meaning the machine timed out before the crystals in the strip clot).

  When you see ">8," you should immediately go to the hospital to have your INR measured, as the values may have gone significantly above the maximum value of 8 and you are seeing ">8" (which is already a very high value).

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• 1

  11 out of 12 members found this review helpful

  MDCHIOS

  2020-06-11

  It is not recommended unless a very indicative measurement is desired.
  Specifically, this product was purchased upon the recommendation of a doctor during a patient's hospitalization. The reason for the purchase during the hospitalization was for the initial measurements to be taken by the nursing staff (in order to ensure the accuracy of these measurements) and also to have an immediate comparison with the hospital's laboratory results in order to control the range of deviation between the two measurements. (It is considered completely normal for laboratory measurements to differ by a certain percentage from the measurements of this specific device).
  After 5 measurements by the nursing staff (as the hospital stay was several days long) as well as some measurements at home, the variation between laboratory values and device values ranges from 30-40%, with the only positive aspect being that the variation is always in one direction. (It is mentioned that in the hospital, the measurements were taken with a time difference of a few minutes, while the measurements at home were taken on days when a home blood draw was scheduled and the sample was sent for laboratory measurement again with a time difference of a few minutes, always based on the instructions for use.)
  Some measurements are mentioned:
  Laboratory Measurements: 2.35 / 2.21 / 3.78 / 1.6 with corresponding Device Measurements: 3.3 / 3.1 / 5 / 2.1
  In addition to the significant range of variation, it is noted that the measurement strips, apart from being expensive (2€/piece), are particularly difficult to use and sensitive (they are not like glucose strips that we have in mind, as even specialized nursing staff in the hospital had to use 2 pieces for a successful measurement), resulting in the average cost of measurement exceeding 3€ (without including the purchase of the device).
  Finally (and perhaps the worst of all), the communication with a representative of the company, where I wanted to ask about the variations in measurements, is characterized as, at the very least, disappointing, with responses such as:
  a) measurements can even differ between two microbiological laboratories,
  b) 40% deviation is very good because when blood is taken for laboratory testing, the blood remains in the vial for some time while the measurement with the device is immediate, etc.
  I only hope that this specific level characterizes the representative and not the company itself, as it is amateurish, irresponsible, and dangerous to state that blood viscosity can change (e.g. 1 unit from 5 to 3.78) in two hours because the blood sits in the collection vial, etc.
  It is absolutely normal, understandable, and acceptable for there to be a difference, even after discussions with specialized doctors, on the order of 20%, but it is completely different for a representative to try to make things black and white. In continuous questions about whether the machine can be checked if it is functioning properly, the answer is that her words are not being listened to, that a 40% variation is perfectly fine, and any differences may be due to the time it takes for the laboratory test to be completed, etc.
  The best thing the representative could have done is to inform a buyer of a particularly expensive device that a check-calibration of the device can be scheduled and that's it.
  Closing, if you wish to regularly monitor the viscosity of your blood, a measurement at any laboratory costs around €4, they send you the results via email, and that's it. Also, if you wish to avoid moving your patient after an agreement with a nearby center, you can arrange for home blood draws for an additional €5/draw, and it is still better to always have confirmed results. This specific product is recommended only if you are going somewhere remote, for example, a trip where you won't have access to a microbiological center, and always with great caution regarding its indications.

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• 5

  Omega Pharmacy

  2021-10-29

  Expensive but very accurate in its measurements

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• 4

  0 out of 1 members found this review helpful

  REVIVE59

  2020-10-16

  Verified purchase

  reliable with great ease of measurement

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