Pros and Cons of the Insulin Pump

QUESTION: Why can't I seem to get a straight answer about the use of the
insulin pump? One doctor praises it and yet another puts it down.
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ANSWER: Well, medicine is a divided nation right now on the use of the
insulin pump. Its advocates think its $3000 price tag is well worth the
investment. They point out that it is a much more reliable and natural way of
supplying insulin, the closest to the body's own. It delivers a continuous
rate of insulin that can be adjusted to meet between-meal and overnight
requirements. At meals the pump can deliver whatever dose is judged
necessary, and during exercise it can adjust the insulin delivery rate. Its
convenience is applauded because a patient can key in mealtime doses rather
than drawing them up in a syringe and injecting them. Many patients feel
much freer not having to take multiple daily injections.
But it has its detractors as well, who say that frequently a skin
infection occurs at the insulin infusion site. A most feared risk, which is
rare, is that the pump will malfunction during the night, and the patient can
die from hypoglycemia. No long-term studies have been done as of yet on
patients using a pump, but physicians are not increasing their use of it on
the whole. The cost consideration might be a prime factor. Also many
diabetics object to the external placement of it, which seems to mark them
somehow. They've also objected because it must be removed while bathing or
swimming, and the constant placement of a needle in the subcutaneous tissue
occasionally causes discomfort.
So we have a house divided, and the ultimate decision must be the
patient's, after consulting with physicians both pro and con and reading all
the available literature. You're the person who must live with it.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.