Effectiveness of Insulin Pump use in regulating blood glucose in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Abstract

It is vital for type 1 diabetes mellitus (Type 1 DM) patients to regulate blood glucose. Glycemic control for these patients is achieved by delivering insulin by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) via a pump or by multiple daily insulin injections (MDI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CSII compared with MDI, in regulating blood glucose in adult (18–50 yrs) type 1 DM patients. A retrospective comparison of two groups of type 1 DM patients (n=35 per group) was conducted. One group received MDI therapy and the other received CSII therapy. Parameters compared included HgA1C, fasting blood glucose concentrations, total episodes of hypoglycemia, severe and nocturnal hypoglycemia, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Results indicated a slight but significant decrease in HgA1C (7.19 and 7.04) in CSII patients at 3 and 6 months respectively, compared with patients on MDI (7.46 and 7.29). Furthermore, fasting blood glucose concentrations were lower in CSII (104.5 mg/dl) patients compared to those on MDI (122.4 mg/dl) at 6 months. There was also a decline in the total number of hypoglycemic and nocturnal hypoglycemic events over 6 months in these patients. CSII therapy in this study was more effective than MDI in regulating blood glucose in type 1 DM patients.