Use of Insulin Pump Therapy in the Pediatric Age-Group

Abstract

Young patients with diabetes, their families, and their diabetes care providers continue to be faced with the challenge of striving to maintain blood glucose levels in the near-normal range. High blood glucose levels with elevated A1C levels are associated with long-term microvascular and macrovascular complications. Recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, especially at young ages, may cause short- and long-term adverse effects on cognitive function and lead to hypoglycemia unawareness and may be associated with significant emotional morbidity for the child and parents. Fear of hypoglycemia, especially during the night, may compromise quality of life (QOL) for the family and jeopardize efforts to achieve optimal metabolic control. Over the past decade, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) has gained increasing popularity among patients with diabetes. CSII is the most physiologic method of insulin delivery currently available. It is able to closely simulate the normal pattern of insulin secretion, namely continuous 24-h adjustable “basal” delivery of insulin upon which are superimposed prandial “boluses.” In addition, CSII offers the possibility of more flexibility and more precise insulin delivery than multiple daily injection (MDI). However, there is still debate among diabetes care practitioners around the world as to whether CSII has advantages over MDI in terms of reduction in A1C levels, occurrence of severe hypoglycemic events, episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and frequency of hospitalizations in young patients. Furthermore, no clear criteria have been established to help the physician choose the “appropriate” patient for CSII therapy. To address these issues, the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE), the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society (LWPES), and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) convened a panel of expert physicians for a consensus conference endorsed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). For each major topic area, …