July 8, 2007
Insulin Pumps, Other
Question from West Chester, Ohio, USA:
I would like to know anything you can tell me about the canulas for insulin pumps. Are there any out there that are NOT made of Teflon? We are getting ready to put our two-year-old daughter on a pump and are VERY concerned about what we are reading about Teflon causing cancer and having a Teflon canula being inserted in our daughter. I am so excited about what I have learned about the OmniPod pump system and it seems to be the perfect solution for our toddler, however, I have gotten verification that the canula is made of Teflon. I have read that Teflon will be illegal by the year 2010 and this makes me very nervous!
Answer:
I think the only way to get around using a Teflon catheter is to use a set where the needle remains in the skin (like the Rapid or PolyFin set) That said, I have no experience with using such an infusion set in a very young child and would contact the companies that make the sets to see what their opinion is. I am also not certain that our knowledge about the cancer risk from the Teflon in the infusion sets is high enough to warrant such a worry, although I can understand your concerns for your young child.
LAD
