Need help with chlorimine testing

[Roadrunner]

I have been taking the chlorimine tests each fill and they always passed.  Today I took the test and everything seemed fine until I looked at the results under my book light.  Usually I look at it with my standard light  bulbs which are a yellowish light.  I'm not sure what my book light is but it is a bluish light.  Fluorescent lights are also somewhat bluish.  My results are 0.0 with the standard lights, possibly failing with the booklight and between 0 and 0.1 with fluorescents. 

Does anyone know what kind of light we should be using?  I can't do it in daylight since we dialysize at night and the Pureflow finishes after dark.  Even though I am suppose to test from the PAC I think I will take a sample from the chickenfoot tomorrow in the day and see what kind of results that gives.

How do you know if the PAC has expired.  This is still my first PAC.  Does it stop mid fill?  Does it give you warning?  It is almost 12 weeks and I will need to change it.

Roadrunner

[jbeany]

The pac will give a "Last Batch" warning. Watch the screen on the Pureflow closely - it doesn't give any more of warning beep than the usual noises it makes as you switch from chloramine checks to "batch in use" and all the other usual messages.  It's easy to hit go and flash past the warning without really noticing it. 

Mine only lasts about 8 weeks because I'm on well water, so I don't mark them on a calendar - but I think you are supposed to change them at 12 weeks, expired or not.

Just remember, it takes about 3 hours to prime the darn thing, so if you want to start a batch the same day you change the pack, you need to account for priming time first.

I'd go with the standard lights - the book light is not a normal shade.

[terry3004]

When i test the chloramines, I do it under normal light.  I was never told about using a certain light for reading the test.

I can't help with the pak, as I'm still on my first pak.  I am on well water as well, so I am expecting about 6-8 weeks between paks.

[Roadrunner]

Thanks for the replies.  I hope someone knows definitively about the lights.  Never thought about it until the booklight was within reach and I used it.  I always use it when inserting my husbands needles since the NxStage is between the light and my husband.  I may call the company that makes the strips.  I know it's not my eyes since the state made us take a colorblind test last week.

I am also on well water but I will need to change the PAK by Feb 11th since that will be 12 weeks.

Roadrunner

[Bill Peckham]

What happens if you look at a new test strip under the book light? Does an unused strip also show the presence of chloramines?

[Roadrunner]

What happens if you look at a new test strip under the book light? Does an unused strip also show the presence of chloramines?

The unused strip matches the 0 reading in the booklight.  When I test the water the strip reads 0.1 in the book light but almost 0 in the incandescent light.  Since the passing reading is <=0.1 I knew it passed either way.  I'm just concerned that if it goes any higher I may miss it in the incandescent light.

I called RP, the manufacturer, and they said no one had ever asked that question before.  After hedging they asked if I was a clinic and when I said no they referred me  back to my clinic.  I'm sure if they don't know the answer the clinic doesn't either.

I guess I will just hope I never go over 0.1 in the booklight.

Roadrunner

[Hawkeye]

Since you should never have sunlight in a water room because it helps grow bacteria there are no windows in a clinics water room to get natural light.  Because of this all clinics have your everyday florescent lights in the water room.  To my knowledge there has never been any discussion about taking readings under different type/shades of light so I really cant help you any further than to tell you what we have.