Insulin Pumps Explained

Insulin pumps are programmed to deliver personalised basal rates, measured in units per hour (U/hr), throughout the day and night depending on your needs².

If you’re currently on multiple daily injections, the idea of using different basal rates might sound complicated. But basal rates are a great tool, as most people with type 1 diabetes need different amounts of insulin at different times of the day.

With an insulin pump you can set personalised basal rates to suit your individual needs.

Basal insulin can easily be adjusted with an insulin pump. However, basal dose settings can take a bit of time to get right, and you’ll work with your healthcare team to set them up.

The exact amount of insulin your body needs can change depending on

• Activity 
• Stress 
• Mealtimes 
• Illness 
• Schedule… and lots of other factors². 

Your healthcare team can help you work out how to adjust your basal rates to address these changing needs. 

Basal insulin can be reduced or increased when needed. This is known as a temporary basal rate, and is a really helpful tool as part of managing blood glucose levels.

For example, you might use a temporary basal when exercising, or to help with dawn phenomenon² - when your glucose levels rise in the morning.

See a good video explainer here

If your blood glucose is high or if you are planning to eat, you will need to take a bolus dose of insulin.

These are not pre-programmed and you must administer this yourself (or in the case of caregivers, on behalf of a child). 

However, insulin pumps have a bolus calculator built into the system which can suggest a dose based on your individual settings^2,, as well as certain values like current glucose level and/or the carbohydrate value of your food.

Your diabetes healthcare team will help you set up your individual settings, including what’s known as your ‘insulin to carb ratio’.

Insulin pumps allow you to deliver insulin in very small doses - for example 0.025 or 0.05 unit increments! This precise dosing could help to improve blood glucose control⁴.

Your diabetes healthcare team is best positioned to advise which insulin therapy options may be the most suitable, based on your clinical and lifestyle needs.

Every insulin pump requires a cannula in order to deliver the insulin into your body. These will vary slightly depending on the individual pump, but they are designed to be as comfortable as possible. These cannulas or infusion sets are normally inserted once every three days, some now up to 7 days, eliminating the need for multiple daily injections.

This depends on the type of insulin pump you have. Most insulin pumps are waterproof or water-resistant to some degree. Please check with each manufacturer for their recommendations.

Patch pumps (the part that you wear directly on your body) are usually waterproof/water resistant, but the remote controls are not. It’s recommended you check with the manufacturer of each patch pump to understand the level of protection against water. 

Yes! The pump will remain connected whilst you sleep, whether you have a tubed or tubeless pump. It’s a matter of finding out what works for you, and it won’t be long before you’re used to sleeping with a pump.

Not for an insulin pump, no. Due to the way that an insulin pump works, only fast-acting insulin is needed.

It is still however recommended to have both types of insulin in back-up supplies in case of a pump failure. You will need to return to injections until the problem is fixed. 

Choices around diabetes management are very personal, and people may look for different features in an insulin pump.

Speak to your healthcare team in the first instance to discuss your options. They can help fill out the reimbursement application to be sent to the health insurance provider³, as insulin pump therapy must be approved by the health insurance provider in advance³.