An insulin pump is a device for dosed subcutaneous administration of insulin according to a program individually set for each patient with diabetes. It is an alternative to repeated injections of insulin using syringes.
Injection of insulin occurs in very small doses, which prevents the occurrence of sharp spikes in blood sugar levels, makes it possible to use the device in the smallest patients and in patients with a small need for insulin. In addition, the device can monitor blood glucose levels, which are displayed on the screen of the device. Therefore, it is increasingly used by patients .
The dispenser consists of an electronic part, with the help of which the mode of insulin therapy, the capacity for insulin, and the remote control are configured. The drug is administered through a thin plastic catheter inserted into the subcutaneous tissue of the abdomen. Consumables for the device are an insulin reservoir, a catheter, a cannula, a blood sugar control sensor, and batteries.
The pump uses short or ultra short-acting insulin, which improves control over glucose fluctuations in the body. Insulin is given in two ways: basal and bolus. The basal supply is constantly in an individual mode to provide the body with insulin at night and in between meals. Bolus doses are related to food intake or sugar correction. The shape of the bolus is selected for each user and the specific situation. Using the device, you can adjust the dose depending on the level of blood glucose, the residual level of insulin, the type and amount of food consumed, physical and emotional activity.
Insulin pumps are widely used by patients with diabetes. The most popular devices in Russia are Medtronik devices because of their quality and reliability. Models are constantly improved by the manufacturer. The MMT-715 pump is the easiest to use and program. The MMT-722 model is equipped with the function of controlling sugar in the intercellular fluid of the subcutaneous tissue, displays the results of the analysis on the screen in real time and saves them in the memory of the device for 12 weeks. When critical episodes occur, the device gives an alarm. This allows the patient and the doctor to configure the dispenser most adequately, to avoid severe hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Veo MMT-754 pump constantly monitors sugar levels and is able to automatically stop the flow of insulin when lowering glucose levels. This device is ideal for use in children and adults with high sensitivity to insulin, as it has a minimum step-by-step dosage of basal injections.
An insulin pump is by far the most convenient way to treat diabetes, which allows patients to live a full life.