Insulin Pump

The pump is a device that manages the insulin continuously. Its size is similar to a pager, it has to be programmed by the patient as advised the diabetologic team. The pump has inside a compartment designed to place the insulin reservoir, which is filled in the same way as a conventional syringe. Insulin is administered continuously, therefore it is necessary to have a permanent connection through a tube called a catheter is punctured into the subcutaneous tissue and should be changed every two or three days.The goal of treatment of diabetes (with or without pump) is to replicate, as closely as possible the physiological secretion of insulin by the pancreas, to achieve at all times normal blood glucose. The pump does not measure blood glucose and insulin decides to give, that is, not use insulin depending on blood glucose. In the non-diabetic individual pancreas continuously secretes a small amount of insulin which permits maintaining normal blood glucose concentrations outside intake periods. This is necessary because during periods of fasting, the liver, which is a store of glucose, glucose is releasing blood continuously and need insulin to regulate the output. This necessary amount of insulin is what constitutes the basal insulin secretion.Furthermore, after a meal a large increase in blood glucose occurs and insulin secreting pancreas responds proportionally to facilitate the entry of glucose into muscle and adipose tissue, mainly. This is called stimulated insulin secretion intake.

In pump therapy is used:• a basal infusion, is the continuous flow of insulin administered by the pump automatically throughout the day and aims to simulate the basal pancreatic secretion.• several bolus: Insulin is that the patient should be administered whenever you eat food or when you need extra amounts of insulin. The bolus resemble increasing pancreatic insulin secretion that occurs after ingestion.The basal infusion should be programmed, using the diabetologic team, depending on capillary blood glucose frequently performed by the patient throughout the day and night, outside the post-prandial period. One advantage of pump therapy is different basal can be programmed infusions over 24 hours.