A new tool for diabetics today: An insulin pump that saves time, hassles, maybe even lives! And it is being tested here in Southern California, Dr. Bruce Hensel reported.
"The pump has been around for a while, but this new high tech version does a number of little things that can make a big difference," Dr. Hensel said.
Katrina and Oliver Reynolds both have type 1 diabete and were slaves to their blood sugar testing kits and insulin needles.
"They're always changing and it's like one morning maybe you're flat, the next youre low, the next you're super high. It's so confusing, Katrina said.
Their mother Debra Reynolds said everyday was a struggle to give them the correct insulin dose: "So that was anything up to 6 or 7 injectins a day. And that was tough because you know when you've got growing kids you often have to make the decision. Ok so do you really want to eat that and have another injection."
That has changed since they started using a new insulin pump and glucose monitor. The glucose monitor checks their blood glucose every minute, according to Dr. Francine Kaufman, Pediatric Endocrinologist at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles: "This gives you 288 glucose values a day. It's looking every 5 min and telling you whats happening to your glucose values."
Then the attached pump calculates and delivers the amount of insulin you need.
"It is designed to mimic your own pancreas so it constantly drips in insulin in the background to the levels that we've programmed. And then you have the ability to give an extra bonus insulin everytime you eat," Debra Reynolds said.
That provided a level of freedon the kids had never experienced before
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"It's so much faster," Katrina said.
The pump is connected to a computer that charts blood sugar trends. That allows for a much tighter level of control... which is better for the kids in the long run.
"If you can say that when they're old they can live a normal life because of what we've done now thats probably the biggest thing that we can maybe achieve," Debra Reynolds said.
"The sensor augmented pump is not just for children and adult type one diabetics some type two diabetics may use it as well. The key is being committed to diabetes management," Dr. Hensel said.
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
http://www.childrenshospitalla.org/site/c.ipINKTOAJsG/b.5207559/k.BF78/Home.htm
Insulin Pump Therapy
www.minimed.com
