Pumps
Pumps
For many living with diabetes, insulin pumps provide both welcome relief from daily injections by syringe or pen, as well as added blood sugar control.
Pumps are small, computerized devices that deliver both continuous “basal” insulin doses to manage blood sugar throughout the day, as well as “bolus” doses to compensate for blood sugar elevations at mealtime.
An insulin pump takes much of the guesswork out of insulin delivery, as these devices are programmed to deliver the right amount of insulin, eliminating the need for the user to draw medication from a vial or dial up dosage on a pen. This can help prevent instances in which too much or too little medication is administered, which, in turn, can result in unwanted blood sugar spikes and drops.
Components of An Insulin Pump
Along with the primary pump device, those who use an insulin pump will need to purchase these disposable components, which usually need to be replaced every 2-3 days. These include:
The cartridge or reservoir is a small, plastic container that stores the insulin to be delivered by the pump. It is important to note that these are not universal. You must purchase a cartridge or reservoir that is compatible with your prescribed insulin pump.
An infusion set is how insulin travels from the pump into the body. Most infusion sets include:
Cannula: a tapered tube with a fine needle at one end that is inserted into the subcutaneous fat layer just below the skin, commonly in the stomach, thigh, or buttock. The other end of the tube attaches to the pump allowing for the flow of insulin into the body.
Quick Insertion Device: a push-button device that makes it easy to insert the cannula into the skin painlessly and accurately.
Integrating with a CGM
Insulin pumps do not eliminate the need to test blood sugar every day. However, rather than requiring patients to do so with a glucose meter and test strips, some insulin pumps integrate with continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGM) for real-time blood sugar monitoring. Not only does this integration provide an up-to-the-minute understanding of how blood sugar is impacted by medication, meals, and physical activity, many pumps are able to adjust insulin doses based on these real-time blood sugar readings.
Who should use an Insulin Pump?
Whether or not to use an insulin pump is ultimately a personal decision. That being said, pumps can be recommended by physicians for a variety of reasons, such as:
Type 1 diabetics who are required to endure multiple insulin injections each day.
People who have difficulty controlling blood sugar and experience frequent highs or lows.
Children or the elderly who either don’t like injections or lack the dexterity to accurately deliver their own injections.
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