Insulin Pumps
More and more patients with Type 1 diabetes are being treated for their condition with insulin pump therapy, also known as Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII), which allows for greater accuracy and flexibility in insulin delivery. Rather than manually injecting insulin regularly, pumps allow the patient to undertake greater activity knowing that he or she can receive insulin through an insulin pump attached to his or her body. Activities such as travelling and exercise can be greatly improved with the use of an insulin pump, but this technology also requires a certain level of knowledge and expertise in health professionals, as well as guidelines for patients to ensure good management of their diabetes.
There are a variety of pumps available, with newer pumps now being integrated with real-time glucose monitoring devices which enables patients to track their blood glucose levels on a continuous basis. Blood glucose readings are taken every five minutes, and the sensor then communicates with the insulin pump allowing the user to notice low and high glucose levels through an alarm. Users must still adjust insulin doses via their pump, and normal self-monitored blood glucose (fingerprick) testing is still required.
Patient-directed use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring has been shown to lead to a reduction in HbA1c levels, but without proper guidance and education patients may not correctly administer insulin based on their glucose levels. An algorithm has been developed to guide patients in their use of real-time glucose monitoring with insulin pumps, and more information on this can be found at the ALGOS page.
More information on insulin pumps and guidelines on their use and associated care can be found at the Resources page.