Take Control of Type 1 Diabetes by David Cavan

Author:David Cavan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Undoubtedly, an insulin pump offers many benefits, and you may feel that it would be of benefit for you too. There are, however, drawbacks to using an insulin pump, and while in my experience the vast majority of people started on a pump then stay on it, a small minority do stop it for a variety of reasons. It is important to understand that:

An insulin pump is just another way of delivering insulin, and you still need to calculate and give your bolus doses, and adjust your basal rates when appropriate. A pump does not do all this for you, nor does it measure your blood glucose levels.

An insulin pump in itself will not stop you having hypos; however, if you can identify why you are having hypos and you know how to make the most of an insulin pump, it can greatly help reduce the risk.

An insulin pump must be connected to you continuously, all day and night. You can remove it for up to an hour at a time (for example, to go swimming, play sport or have sex), but then it is essential it is reconnected and a blood glucose check performed in case the level has risen too high.

Most pumps are connected to the giving set by means of a fine tube or cannula. If this gets kinked, the flow of insulin can be blocked off, or if the cannula gets pulled, insulin might leak out, causing high glucose levels and possibly ketoacidosis.

The cannula and giving set need to be changed every two to three days, otherwise there is risk of infection or of the insulin not being delivered and absorbed properly. If you observe standard precautions then the risk of infection is otherwise very low.

Some people worry about the pump becoming disconnected, others just do not like the idea of being attached to it all the time. While most people soon come to realise the benefits outweigh these concerns, in some they do not, and they cannot get used to wearing the pump.

If the pump fails, you need to inject insulin as soon as possible to avoid the risk of ketoacidosis. As the amount of insulin in the body at any one time is very small, if the pump disconnects, or the tubing becomes blocked, the interruption of the insulin infusion will very rapidly lead to high glucose levels and the risk of ketoacidosis.

It is essential that you are prepared to carry out regular blood tests, at least 4–5 per day to keep an eye on your control and be assured that the pump is working safely.

It is also important to have a supply of ‘back-up’ insulin which can be injected in case of pump failure.

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