Endocrine Abstracts

Within the United Kingdom continuous insulin infusion pumps have not been widely used. This is due to concerns over safety with the early models and fundamentally a lack of funding. With NICE guidance now recommending use in some patients there is likely to be increased demand for the provision of these instruments. The devices have considerably improved and offer an alternative to multiple dosing regimes in some patients.

Whilst home glucose testing can be useful in the management of diabetes most patients would prefer not to do this. There has been great interest in the development of minimally and non-invasive glucose sensing technology. There are currently three devices available in the United Kingdom employing an implantable electrode, microdialysis and electrosomotic current. These devices have been subject to considerable media interest. However whilst they may provide useful information for the management of diabetes and hypoglycaemia they are still relatively primitive. Further development and refinement is required. The impact and efficacy of the devices has yet to be established although they do provide a useful adjunct to the management of glucose related disorders.

This presentation will discuss current insulin infusion pumps that are available and their clinical application. The available glucose sensing devices will be reviewed with clinical examples of their use.