Insulin Pump Therapy Reconsidered

Excerpt

It has been recognized for some time that the traditional methods of treating type I diabetes mellitus (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) with a program of one or two daily insulin injections and diet and exercise planning are quite imperfect. With the advent of home blood glucose—monitoring techniques and glycosylated hemoglobin determinations, it is evident that many persons with diabetes have a degree of hyperglycemia sufficient to contribute to development of devastating longterm complications. Ultimately, it is hoped that advances in the field of islet cell transplantation or pancreas transplantation will allow more physiologic control of blood glucose levels. In the interim, efforts to improve insulin administration have resulted in the development of a myriad of electromechanical pump devices. These insulin infusion devices are designed to mimic the natural pattern of insulin release by providing both a continuous, variable small supply of insulin and extra boluses of insulin prior to eating. Now