Coaguchek XS replacement

[dick0236]

UPS just delivered a new Coaguchek XS System to me to replace the meter I had per the recall letter I received from Alere a couple weeks ago. Meter looks identical to the old one.

From what I see and read, the only thing different is the "cleaning instructions" in the user manual. I can see, in the old manual, how someone could have immersed, or sprayed, the meter in water to clean it....which would allow water into the meter causing malfunction or error.

If anyone notes other changes, please post them.

 

[ShezaGirlie]

I got mine day before yesterday and tested it out before I sent the old one back. Works just fine...same as old one and now old one is on the way back.. This one is new, old one was 'refurbished'..:thumbup:

 

[Protimenow]

From what I've seen, there should be no difference between the old and the new meters. The problems were mostly with clinics that did a lot of tests, and a lot of cleaning. They used some wrong solutions for cleaning the inside of the meters, and apparently messed up something inside the meters so that results were incorrect. If you never cleaned your old meter, or did it carefully with the solutions (if I recall, one part isopropyl alcohol to 9 parts distilled water, used a q-tip, and were careful not to get the inside of the meter wet), your old meter was probably just fine.

Roche makes a variety of XS meters, with different user audiences. The one you probably had was their model aimed at home testers. There are also models for professional use. It's the last group(s) that were probably more likely to have been incorrectly cleaned, and that may have had the errors.

I won't question Roche's reasoning for replacing a slew of meters for home testing that probably hadn't been cleaned at all - or that may have been cleaned correctly - with new or refurbished meters that function properly. It is a good thing that they did. (Now, if they'd like to replace my almost new CoaguChek S with one of those refurbished XS models, and maybe swap out my PT strips for XS strips, I certainly wouldn't complain about it).

 

[Jeanie]

Recall!? Hmm....considering I just got mine, I hope I did get the newer, latest/greatest one.

 

[dick0236]

Recall!? Hmm....considering I just got mine, I hope I did get the newer, latest/greatest one.

I don't think I would worry. It seems that the recall had a lot to do with the cleaning instructions in the older manual. The old language was poorly written, and a "not real bright person" might submerse the machine to clean it....which would cause the machine to malfunction......and the recall was a "just in case" recall. My new and old machines seem to be identical, but the cleaning instructions have been made very clear NOT to get water inside the machine.

 

[Protimenow]

The recall information can be found if you google it. It wasn't just getting water in the machine - it had something to do with the wrong cleaner. It wasn't necessarily about immersing the meter either -- I think too much water or the wrong cleaner on a Q-tip could also get water into the parts that shouldn't get wet.

If I HAD an XS, and didn't already clean it, I certainly wouldn't worry about bad results. The recall's primary target was the medical practices, labs and anticoagulation clinics that ran a lot of tests and did regular cleaning of the meters.