Insulin Pumps: The Basics

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

03 Jan 2008 09:45 PM

Insulin pumps -- devices that can mimic the insulin delivery of a normal, healthy pancreas -- were developed in the late 1970s.

An insulin pump delivers insulin under the skin in two different doses: a low background dose given every few minutes to fulfill the body's general insulin needs and a larger dose given to deal with meals and snacks. The pump holds a reservoir of insulin and uses a needle or a plastic infusion catheter to deliver the insulin. The needle or catheter needs to be replaced every few days.

Why use an insulin pump? Diabetics who use an insulin pump can have more constant insulin action throughout the day. Many insulin pump users have better overall blood glucose level control, thanks to the combination of background doses and meal doses of insulin. Using an insulin pump also reduces the chances of experiencing low blood sugar overnight.

More than 180,000 people around the world use an insulin pump to manage diabetes. In general, people with Type 1 diabetes use an insulin pump more frequently than people with Type 2 diabetes, according to statistics from Diabetes Self Management magazine.

Insulin pumps come with a variety of features, including:

• Ability to program several different basal profiles -- the low background dose delivered every few minutes. Why is this useful? If you are active at different times of the day, your body may need more or less insulin in the background.
• Ability to fine-tune the dose -- some pumps can deliver insulin only in half units while others can deliver doses of one-twentieth of a unit. There's a wide range of fine-tuning out there!
• Ability to deliver extended boluses -- the large dose that deals with meals and snacks. Perhaps you'll be at a formal dinner party with pauses between courses. Extending the delivery can help keep blood sugar levels even.

The insulin pump isn't perfect. Excessive sweating can dislodge the needle or catheter. Metal needles can cause irritation from movement or contact. Insulin is temperature-sensitive, so hot or cold environments may cause insulin to become less effective.

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jiminillinois (5) 16 May 2008 07:34 PM

I'm 58 yrs old and have been type 1 for 26 years. Tomorrow I will receive my first insulin pump, the MiniMed 522. I am also fortunate to report that I'll also be receiving the Medtronic CGM equipment, both of which are covered fully by my insurance. I'm not very PC savvy, so I hope this reaches some other experienced pump users. Right now I'm concerned about the daily logistics of programming my ongoing bolus needs into the unit. My vision isn't especially great and I'm unsure of how complex the bolus process is. Once I understand the pump's use, will I typically be able to enter the bolus details while the pump remains attached to my belt?

Another issue I'll need to deal with is having the CGM and pump equipment connected overnight while I sleep. This will take some getting used to.

I've never really counted carbs, so I'm hoping that someone can turn me on to a good resource to learn the finer points of carb counting.

I'm excited about getting the pump and the CGM hardware; I hope it will enable me to lower my A1C's, which have risen over the past 2 years and are currently too high (7.6 when last measured in April).

Aimee Amodio (11995) 19 May 2008 11:24 AM

Jim, you'll find a lot of knowledgable and helpful people at the Families.com forums. We have a forum just for talking about diabetes here: http://forums.families.com/diabetes,f33 that might be a good place for you to start!