Using An Insulin Pump For Insulin Replacement Therapy

  Using an insulin pump to put insulin into the body as a replacement for the body's insulin is a relatively new development in insulin replacement therapy. Previously, people that had diabetes often had to inject insulin into the body via a syringe to keep the blood sugar level at a constant and safe level. This can be painful and sometimes inconvenient to do so an insulin pump is a useful alternative. This article will explain how to use a diabetic insulin pump and some of the advantages and disadvantages.

An insulin pump is made up of :

a pump

a disposable reservoir of insulin

an infusion set – tubing and a cannula that connects the insulin reservoir to the body

The insulin reservoir is slotted into the pump. The pump is the size and shape of a normal cell phone. It is often worn around the waist in a pouch attached to a belt or the waistband of clothing. You can also get a insulin pump holders that can fit into a back pack or anywhere that the person finds suitable. The pump is connected to a cannula via a thin tube. The insulin pump passes insulin to the cannula via the tubing. The cannula that is attached to the skin allows insulin to be passed into the body.

Insulin pumps work in two ways. The first is a continuous passing of insulin into the body. This is used to keep the blood sugar level constant between meals, exercise or at night. It is called the basal dosage.

The second method is referred to as the bolus dosage. This is an instant larger dosage. It is administered when the diabetic knows that their will be a large amount of sugar entering the body, for example, just before a meal

The pump is programmed to deliver the correct dosages based on the individuals circumstances. If the individual's circumstances change, for example, a new diet or exercise regime, then the programming can be changed to reflect this.

Insulin pumps use fast acting insulin as opposed to slow acting insulin that is used with syringes. It is thought that this is a better way to administer insulin because it is a more precise way of measuring the amount of insulin needed in the body.

Insulin pumps have a better idea of the amount of insulin that will be needed by the body which is better for the long term health of the diabetic. They allow the diabetic more freedom and to eat or exercise when they want. They are also more discrete than a syringe.

The major disadvantage of the insulin pump is that it has to be worn all the time. It may be inconvenient at times, especially if you are swimming, playing sport or other physical activities. Obviously this has to be worked out beforehand be increasing the insulin dosage before the activity commences and then removing the pump for the duration.

Insulin pump prices are more expensive than using syringes initially, but you will probably save money over time, as you will not have to replace the pump as you do with syringes.

Changing from slow to fast acting insulin may cause diabetic ketoacidosis if the fast acting insulin is stopped for some reason, like the supply runs out for example or the cannula gets detached.

Insulin pumps are the best way to deliver insulin replacement therapy. They will only get better and cheaper as more research is done on them. Above all, they avoid the need to constantly inject yourself with a syringe that many people dislike.

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