Insulin pump therapy has a number of benefits compared to insulin injections. However, it also has a number of challenges associated with it too.
On this page we’ve summed up the main benefits and challenges people have found with insulin pump therapy:
Benefits
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A reduction in hypos and return of hypo awareness
The ability to manage exercise and activity more accurately
Improved control and flexibility
More accurate insulin delivery through built in calculators* and ability to micro-dose insulin
No daily injections
*This includes pre-programmed insulin: carb ratios (ICRs), insulin sensitivity factors (ISF), to help calculate mealtime and correction doses, and “active insulin” feedback to assist in dose calculation.
Challenges include:
- An infusion set change is required every 2–3 days
- Risk of site infection
- The pump may malfunction and infusion set can block
- Risk of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) which can occur sooner than with insulin injections
- Must monitor blood glucose 4–6 times daily
- Must have a good knowledge of carbohydrate counting
- The Pump must be worn 24hrs a day, everyday
- The Pump can be disconnected but only for a maximum of 1 hour at a time
- Complications such as lipohypertrophy (lumpy injection sites) can still occur using the pump.
In the video below some people on insulin pump therapy discuss their own experiences with it.