April 18, 2001
Insulin Pumps
Question from East Windsor, New Jersey, USA:
Our nine year old daughter was diagnosed with type�1 diabetes 10 months ago, and we have decided to pursue pump therapy. During a trial run, we discovered that, due to her lean body type, she was unable to comfortably use the pump in either her upper or lower abdomen, as both caused pain. The best spot for her seems to be the upper hip/buttocks area. Now, the problem she has eczema, particularly in the buttocks area. We can generally control this with a cream prescribed by the dermatologist, but she still tends to get a rash. Will inserting the infusion set in an area with a rash be likely to cause irritation or increased risk for infection? During the two days we used the trial pump in this area, we saw no adverse reaction.
Answer:
There is no way to know for sure if the eczema response will be associated with tape or catheter problems. You may want to try catheter and tape in these sites for a few weeks before committing to expense of a insulin pump that may not be feasible.
You also should talk to your diabetes pump team about alternative catheters that are in different shapes and configurations since this may allow belly sites. Unfortunately, there are some people who cannot use insulin pumps because of such skin problems.
SB
