It can feel like there is a lot to remember when starting out with your insulin pump. The checklist below includes everything you may be asked to bring on your first day of insulin pump training.
Checklist
- Your insulin pump
- Bolus insulin in 10ml vial
- Reservoirs
- Your chosen cannula and insertion sets
- Blood glucose monitor
- Blood glucose, insulin, carbohydrate profile diary
- Ketone monitoring equipment
- Insulin devices/pens as a backup
- Your usual hypo treatment
Starting out with an insulin pump can vary depending on where you are and which insulin pump you are using. As a result, the items you may be required to bring on your first day of insulin pump training may differ from the list above. Your diabetes team will provide you with details.
Insulin pump terminology
Using an insulin pump means getting to grips with some new terminology. The five terms below – basal, temporary basal, bolus, active insulin, and insulin sensitivity factor – are commonly used terminology, and they are all described on this page.
Click below for explanations of each.
Basal is the 'background' insulin that you need throughout the day and night to maintain your target blood glucose values when you are not eating. This replaces your Lantus (glargine), Abasaglar/Basalglar, Levemir, Humulin I, Degludec (Tresiba), Toujeo or Insulatard insulin.
Your basal insulin accounts for approximately one-half of your daily insulin requirements. Your insulin pump mimics a pancreas by delivering insulin continuously over 24 hours. Your basal insulin is delivered in small increments continuously and the rate can be changed to suit your individual needs.
A temporary basal rate is a basal rate that you use in place of your scheduled basal rate for short-term situations. It can be applied for 30 minutes to 24 hours. This will speed up or slow down the rate that the background insulin is delivered.
A bolus is a larger amount of insulin delivered quickly to cover carbohydrate containing foods (meal bolus) and/or corrective doses (correction bolus) to bring blood glucose to target.
Active insulin, also known as insulin on board, is the amount of insulin still active from a previous bolus to lower blood glucose levels.
Your insulin sensitivity factor (ISF) determines how many mmol/L your blood glucose will drop with 1 unit of insulin. This helps the pump work out your correction doses if required. An ISF of 1:4 is usually a good starting point, i.e. 1 unit will drop blood glucose by 4 mmol/L.