Although insulin pumps are water resistant, they should not be placed directly under water or immersed in water. All insulin pumps have a disconnection part for activities such as swimming, bathing and showering.
Also, while exercising, pump patients can use a strong elastic belt with a special pump bag. But it is possible that during the game, it collides with each other and the pump gets damaged or falls to the ground, which can be painful, so in these cases, you should turn off the pump.
Remember that when the pump is turned off, all insulin doses sent to the body by the pump are stopped.
Benefits of using a pump
Many patients believe that the pump has made them live a more flexible lifestyle and enjoy their lives more.
Some of the benefits of using a pump instead of frequent insulin injections are:
Using an insulin pump frees the patient from frequent injections.
Insulin pumps are more accurate than the injection method.
An insulin pump often improves hemoglobin A1C.
The use of an insulin pump usually leads to a decrease in blood sugar level fluctuations.
The pump makes the treatment of diabetes easier. When the patient wants to eat or when the blood sugar level is high, the required amount of insulin can be calculated and delivered to the body by pressing a small button on the pump.
The pump allows the patient to be more flexible about when to eat and what type of food to eat.
The pump reduces periods of severe blood sugar drop.
The pump allows the patient to exercise without consuming a large amount of carbohydrates
Problems using the pump
Insulin pump is not suitable for everyone. They are delicate devices, and patients must learn how to change the injection set, how to program the pump, and what to do when the set becomes blocked or dislodged.
Patients should understand the mechanism of pump operation and be able to choose suitable places to install the set. Therefore, the pump training programs are very complete and comprehensive, and they may prepare a checklist for every little task that the patient needs to learn.
The patient has to learn how to count carbohydrates and how to adjust the dose of insulin with the amount of food eaten and the amount of physical activity.
Also, pump patients have to control their blood sugar at least 4 times a day so that if the blood sugar level is not within the normal range, they can receive corrective doses.
One of the disadvantages of these pumps is the sudden interruption of the insulin flow due to blockage of the tube or needle, or the end of the insulin reserve in the tank, or the end of the battery, which must be checked regularly. If this happens, the device will sound an alarm and notify you. In this case, the patient must inject a dose of insulin manually to solve the problem.
Some of the problems of using the pump are:
Weight gain, the pump makes the patient eat more freely.
Diabetic ketoacidosis, if the catheter is removed from the body and the patient does not take insulin for several hours, it can lead to ketoacidosis.
being expensive
Causing a disturbance, since the pump is most of the time with the patient and connected to him, it can be troublesome for the patient and limit him.
Accuracy and complexity of pump training programs
Medical equipment training channel of academic Jihad, Tehran Medical Sciences Unit
@BME_jahad