Introduction to insulin pump therapy
Section: TEACHING TO LEARN
Authors
Leticia Solís Carpintero
Position
Enfermera de AP en los distintos centros de salud de la Gerencia de Guadalajara (SESCAM).
Contact email: leticiasolis4@hotmail.com
Abstract
The use of insulin pumps in type 1 patients is estimated to be below 1% in Spain. This figure puts us at the bottom of European countries that administer this therapy as compared to countries such as Germany, Holland and Sweden where the percentage reaches 10% of the population with type 1 diabetes. Within Spain, Catalonia is the autonomous community that groups together the largest group of patients that use subcutaneous infusion of insulin to treat the disease.
Insulin therapy by means of subcutaneous pumping, most commonly known as insulin pumps, provide a number of benefits such a decreased number and lower intensity of hypoglycaemias and a more flexible lifestyle that improves user satisfaction.
According to a poll conducted in our country between June and December 2006 by the Working Group for New Technologies of the Spanish Society of Diabetes, the reasons given by the hospitals not to start using insulin pumps were: the financial cost, the lack of training of the professionals and the lack of adequate resources (24 h telephone assistance, day hospital, etc.).
This article is aimed at all those healthcare professionals that treat type 1 diabetic patients wishing to gain further knowledge into this mode of treatment to clarify their doubts and to eliminate their fears regarding disease management and to improve the quality of life of their patients.
Keywords:
diabetes; glycaemia; insulin; nursing careeducation on diabetes
Versión en Español
Título:
