Doubting there pump?

[dionh]

Has anyone ever thought that their pump has malfunctioned (ie. not pumped the specified amount of insulin). If so can you please give details. I'm trying to get as much of an opinion of different pumps before I make my final decision. Again...still going for a Minimed but willing to consider a Cozmo or an Animas as they are the others that I can have under health insurance. Also, if anyone thinks that they should convince me to go for a certain pump can you please attempt to do so.

thanks
Dion :cool:

[w5wjp]

I seriously doubt that a pump would malfunction the way you describe. It would fail completely. There are just too many checks built in to the pumps. Even if it did, you should be testing often enough so that you can tell if you got too much or too little insulin and can take corrective action.



P.S. Cozmo is the most customizable pump.

[xMenace]

No. Pump has always worked as expected, except when it doesn't work at all.

[Subby]

I'm very happy with my minimed so far, but have no point of reference. Feature wise, if I could improve it the couple main things that have struck me so far:

- record of temporary basal rates (perhaps in the "bolus history", despite being a basal)
- IOB easier to get to (status screen)
- more heightened alarm state if your reservoir is finally, completely dry.

And a couple things that are more my case specific, like smaller increments for a very low I:C ratio.

Dionh, I'm interested if you have found anything in your researches yet that strikes you as differences that are really important? How about those carb databases some (or one?) of the other pumps seem to have?

[kstreeter513]

Actually one time my pump did malfunction. I used to work as a patient transporter in a hospital. One of my duties was to help transfer patients from the beds to wheelchairs, exams tables, whatever. I used to go into MRI to help as well. I never really thought about the possibility of my pump being damaged...oops.

Anyway, it started delivering about twice the amount of insulin it said it did with no warnings, alarms, ect. After calling minimed, I was guided through some test to perform on the pump, and sure enough, it was fried. The pump was still under warrenty and I was sent a new one at no charge very quickly. I have always had great customer service from minimed.

As far as I know (now anyway), all pumps are sensitive to strong magnetic fields created by the MRI machine.

[dionh]

Actually one time my pump did malfunction. I used to work as a patient transporter in a hospital. One of my duties was to help transfer patients from the beds to wheelchairs, exams tables, whatever. I used to go into MRI to help as well. I never really thought about the possibility of my pump being damaged...oops.

Anyway, it started delivering about twice the amount of insulin it said it did with no warnings, alarms, ect. After calling minimed, I was guided through some test to perform on the pump, and sure enough, it was fried. The pump was still under warrenty and I was sent a new one at no charge very quickly. I have always had great customer service from minimed.

As far as I know (now anyway), all pumps are sensitive to strong magnetic fields created by the MRI machine.
thats very interesting and great advise since i work in a hospital too. thank you

[Cyborg]

I always have to remove my pump before i go into an MRI room.

With regards to doubting your pump, I have sent a pump back once due to uncertainty. Animas sent me a new pump the next day. I couldn't verify there was a problem, but I did have a strange error code a few days before and my bg wasn't quite right for the following couple of days.

[barbarac]

Once it just failed. Not sure why, but they sent a new one. I can't figure how it even got here so fast. Can't remember now what went wrong with it. (Animas 1250)

[stlduckhunter]

My current pump, MM 722, has been flawless. However, my old one a MM 508 had problems, either real or imagined, and I lost confidence in it. I called MM, explained my problem and they overnighted a new pump to me. Their service and understanding were great.

[Mia F.]

My husband went to endo last week for an appt. and I encouraged him to ask about the pump because I think his new regime is out of control. He's type 1, has been for 33 years. They gave him a folder to look over. It seem like the Mini-med 522-722? Can you tell me what the difference? I'm trying to get him to get the one with the CGMS because I think it is important. Any info would be great! Thanks~ Mia

[Subby]

Hi Mia, the 522 and 722 are identical except that the 722 is a cm or so longer and can hold more insulin. Typically the idea is for the insulin reservoir to last three days, so for someone like me who uses about 100 units per day, I need the 722 with its 300 unit reserviour.

The doctor or educator should determine what your husband's likely total usage on the pump will be and get the correct size accordingly.

Both are capable of having the cgms component added. The CGMS could indeed be valuable but it does require work such as continued finger pricks, and is another invasive, constant insertion. In other words: don't automatically include it as a thrown in feature in your head, you husband will need to assess and decide if the added work is something he is going to take on, let alone the pump.

So of course you might be in a situation to get both at the same time, it might work out well. But the option is, to get on the pump, come to grips with it (and there's a lot to come to grips with right there), then have the option open for CGMS.

Have you checked your insurance cover for the pump and also, specifically, cgms?

[Subby]

Forgot to mention too, it may be possible for your husband to use a cgms on a loan from the hospital/endocrinologist for a few days, for diagnostic purposes and to get a feel for it. Either right now before the pump, or once on it.