April 21, 2011
Daily Care, Insulin Pumps
Question from Charlottesville, Virginia, USA:
My son uses an insulin pump and has been developing infections at the infusion site. In the past, these infections were very infrequent, but we have had two in the last two weeks. We normally change the site every three days. I put the infusion set in for him and I always wipe it down with alcohol before inserting the needle. What can we do to prevent anymore infections? My son plays on a baseball team that practices/plays two hours a day. He usually gets very sweaty and dirty.
Answer:
When someone starts getting infections from infusion set sites suddenly, we need to look for any change in activity or behavior. If your son started playing baseball and is coming home dirty, several changes might help. First, change the infusion set every two days. Secondly, before inserting the infusion set, wash the area where you will insert the new site with liquid antibacterial soap, such as Dial. Finally, you might find another area to insert just during this season, an area that gets less exposure to dirt.
NB
