subject: The Facts To Know About Insulin Pumps [print this page] As a diabetic, one of the basic tenets to understand is blood sugar levels. With high blood sugar levels, the body would be more susceptible to develop complications from this condition. With low blood sugar levels, the body would not be able to source energy for its basic needs, leading to health issues such as dizziness, hypoglycemia and even cardiac arrest. One way to regulate these sugar levels in the body is through an insulin pump, a device that delivers the hormone insulin needed to control blood glucose levels in the body.
The following are some of the basic terms in insulin pump use:
a)Basal Insulin Rate. This is the term for the amount of insulin needed to be supplied for the body's needs thus managing blood sugar levels between meals and through the night. When using basal delivery rates, only rapid acting insulin is to be used in programming the insulin pump to deliver the hormone at pre-programmed times during the day. The typical delivery rate would be between 0.025 and 2 units per hour, depending upon the individual. The delivery range is between forty to sixty percent of the total daily insulin requirement per day.
b)Bolus Insulin Delivery. Depending on the kind of meal, this system provides for a measurement of insulin to be delivered because of the elevated glucose levels. This also accounts for the remaining total daily insulin requirement for the individual.
c)Basal Program. The function of each individual insulin pump is programmed by the user with the assistance of the diabetes care professional. Each program would deliver a specific amount of insulin at specific time frames within a given period. There are many settings for basal programs for insulin pumps depending on the need, such as for normal daily activities, weekend activity, exercise activity, menstrual cycle or for illnesses.
d)Correction Factor. This is the measurement of how many points (mg/dl) of the diabetic's glucose levels that drops per each unit of rapid-acting insulin.
e)The Insulin to Carbohydrate Ratio. This is based on the concept of carbohydrate counting in the food eaten. This is essential to assist the diabetic in programming the correct amount of insulin bolus required to manage the sudden glucose rise because of the intake of carbohydrates.
f)Total Daily Dose. This is the total of injected insulin within a given twenty four-hour period. This determination of the starting basal insulin rate depends on the total insulin intake of the previous day.
These are only some of the terms that insulin pump users must know. Not only do diabetics that use the insulin pump need to know this, but also people they live with and their caregivers, as this can help in managing diabetes in the long run.
