Description of Event or Problem · 0
MY SON IS A 9 YEAR OLD TYPE 1 DIABETIC USING THE DEXCOM G7. HE HAS HAD RECURRING ISSUES WITH THIS PRODUCT EVERY SINCE HE'S STARTED TO USE IT. THE ISSUES INCLUDE: 1) SENSORS NOT LASTING THE ADVERTISE 10 DAYS (THEY LAST AN AVERAGE OF 6-7 DAYS, WITH SEVERAL FAILING DURING WARM UP OR ON THE FIRST DAY), 2) FREQUENT "BRIEF SENSOR ISSUES" IN WHICH THIS ERROR DISPLAYS FOR UP TO AN HOUR AT A TIME, DISPLAYS A COUPLE OF DATA POINTS, AND THEN GOES RIGHT BACK INTO "BRIEF SENSOR ISSUE", AND 3) FREQUENT FALSE AND/OR COMPRESSION LOWS, WHICH WORRY SCHOOL STAFF AND CAUSE OVER-TREATMENT OR MIS-TREATMENT OF LOWS, AND INTERRUPTED CAREGIVER AND PATIENT SLEEP. DEXCOM HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ON THESE RECURRING ISSUES, BUT HANDLES EACH OCCURRENCE AS A SINGLE COMPLAINT. WHEN I TRY TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS IS RECURRING, THEY SIMPLY READ TO ME FROM THE USERS MANUAL (WHICH I HAVE READ AND AM THOROUGHLY TRAINED ON), OR TRY TO TELL ME THAT "BRIEF SENSOR ISSUES ARE NORMAL" AND THAT I SHOULD CALIBRATE USING UP TO 3 SEPARATE FINGER STICKS OVER THE COURSE OF AN HOUR. IT REALLY IS NOT REASONABLE TO EXPECT ME, MY SON, OR SCHOOL STAFF TO SPEND AN HOUR TRYING TO CALIBRATE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCHOOL DAY OR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THERE HAS BEEN NO HELP FROM DEXCOM ON THIS BEING A RECURRING ISSUE OTHER THAN TO REPLACE INDIVIDUAL SENSORS THAT I REPORT AS HAVING FAILED PRIOR TO 10 DAYS. YESTERDAY, MY SON WAS WEARING A 9 DAY OLD SENSOR THAT WAS STARTING TO GIVE A LOT OF COMPRESSION LOWS. I WANTED TO SLEEP WELL, SO I CHANGED THAT SENSOR EARLY BEFORE BED. THE NEW SENSOR (SN (B)(6)) IMMEDIATELY STARTED HAVING FALSE AND COMPRESSION LOWS (CONFIRMED BY FINGER POKE). I WAS UNABLE TO CALIBRATE BECAUSE THE SENSOR READINGS WERE JUMPING UP AND DOWN SO QUICKLY. I GOT WOKEN UP ABOUT 5 TIMES BY FALSE LOW ALARMS ABOUT 30 MINUTES APART. I FINALLY GOT FED UP AND STOPPED THAT SENSOR AND PUT ON A NEW ONE. THE SECOND NEW SENSOR (SN (B)(6)) ALSO IMMEDIATELY STARTED HAVING FALSE AND COMPRESSION LOWS (ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMED BY FINGER POKE). I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CALIBRATE AT ABOUT 6:30 AM TODAY ((B)(6)2024). HIS SENSOR READ "LOW", WHILE HIS FINGER STICK READ 108. I CALIBRATED TO 108. HIS SENSOR READING ROSE FROM THERE AND AT SOME POINT, HIS TANDEM TSLIM X2 GAVE HIM AN AUTOCORRECTION OF 0.23 UNITS. HE SLEPT IN UNTIL ABOUT 8:00 AM. WHEN HE WOKE UP, HIS SENSOR READ 113, BUT HE SAID HE FELT LOW, SO WE FINGER POKED AGAIN. THAT FINGER POKE READ 56. I GAVE HIM A JUICE AND HE DRANK IT AND HE RECOVERED FROM THE LOW. THESE ISSUES THAT WE ARE HAVING WITH THE DEXCOM G7 ARE IMPACTING HIS DIABETES MANAGEMENT. HE USES CONTROL IQ FROM TANDEM TSLIM X2, SO HIM PUMP IS LOWERING AND RAISING INSULIN BASED ON HIS SENSOR READINGS. WHEN HIS SENSOR READINGS ARE INACCURATE OR UNAVAILABLE THIS OFTEN, HE IS GETTING EITHER NOT ENOUGH OR TOO MUCH INSULIN UNTIL A PARENT CAN RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE, TROUBLE SHOOT IT AND MAKE A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO STOP A SENSOR SESSION EARLY AND REPLACE IT. DEXCOM HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL IN RESOLVING THESE ISSUES AND IS FALSELY STATING THAT THEIR SENSORS LAST 10 DAYS. THEY ARE ALSO TELLING PATIENTS THAT "BRIEF SENSOR ISSUES" ARE "NORMAL" AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY PERFORMING UP TO 3 FINGER POKES AND CALIBRATIONS OVER AN HOUR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PRODUCT IS ADVERTISED AS "NO CALIBRATIONS NECESSARY." REF REPORT: MW5162122.