One month on the other side of the world
During my trip to the other side of the world, that was going to last for a whole month, I was only allowed to bring 20 kilos and when you do not have unlimited space in your baggage the new and very handy and much smaller CoaguChek®XS was great to bring along because I brought it along as hand baggage.
For many years, I have travelled with the somewhat bigger CoaguChek® which is placed in a bigger bag that takes up quite a lot of space in you baggage. The new instrument with all that is needed does not take up much more space than a CD box. Furthermore, the new strips are also much better because they have a substantially larger area for the drop of blood, the area fills up the entire width of the strip so that you will almost always be able to place the drop correctly, and the drop will find you INR much easier. At the same time you can hold the instrument in you hand which makes it easier to place the drop of blood on the strip.
Stopper keeps strips dry and fresh
Another improvement is the fact that the strips must no longer be kept cool. They are now delivered in a little round container with 25 strips, but the brilliant thing is that the stopper holds a substance that keeps the strips dry and fresh so that you can bring the entire container with you without problems.
Fluctuating INR values
My INR values are almost always very fluctuating at the beginning of my trips, probably because of the foreign culture and food. I have values that lie outside the area that I am supposed to be in, but I have been able to change my dose right away so that I quickly reached the right level.
In my opinion, the new CoaguChek®XS is a fine new and thoroughly brilliant instrument. I hope that in the future the anticoagulant centres will get the necessary means from the counties to buy these new instruments, because besides the fact that the instrument is more handy it is also cheaper to buy compared to the previous instrument.
Written by the chairman who is an anticoagulant treated patient and completely carried away by the new CoaguChek®XS.
Preben Mandrup, Søberg, Denmark
Blodprop- og AK-Patientforeningen, Denmark
Anticoagulation news 3, 2006; 14
