Changing the height of a conventional insulin pump in relation to its tubing and infusion set can significantly impact the expected insulin delivery rates, according to researchers at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute and University of California, Santa Barbara.
The height of the pump and tubing can often change during simple, everyday activities, such as dressing, sleeping or changing clothes. When the pump was moved higher or lower relative to its tubing or infusion site, the accuracy of insulin delivery rates were impacted.
“The unintended fluctuation in insulin delivery, which may arise from pump movement during normal daily use, can increase blood glucose variability, a risk factor for the progression of complications of diabetes,” said lead investigator Howard Zisser, MD, Director of Clinical Research and Diabetes Technology at the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. “The effect of hydrostatic pressure was most significant at low basal rates and therefore these findings may be particularly important for pediatric diabetes patients, who often use insulin pumps at low basal rates.”
In contrast, the OmniPod, which has no external tubing, was the least affected by pumping orientation and direction.
The study was published in the January issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.
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I suspected this is true…I always place my pump “higher” than my infusion site, try to use short tubing, and always orient my tubing “downwards”…so, have clip so that tubing is coming out of the bottom and down to the infusion site. Good to see someone has studied this and shown us that there is a real impact on glucose variability. Thanks DNH! excellent info as usual:)