Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Diabetes mellitus is among the most common of chronic disorders with increasing prevalence worldwide, affecting 50 000 citizens in Montenegro. The insulin pump is a medical device that works on the principle of continuous insulin injection, and is used in the control of diabetes in insulin dependent patients. The objective of this study was to highlight the role of nurse in education of the patients, implantation of insulin pump and nursing networking for insulin pump therapy in Montenegro.

Methods: The study enrolled all patients between 2016 and 2020 starting insulin pump therapy, 23 females and seven males. The indications were unsatisfactory glycoregulation, incipient nephropathy and pregnancy planning. Three patients discontinued insulin pump therapy during the further treatment.

Results: Patients were from different parts of Montenegro, central part 14 patients, southern 6 patients, and northern part 8 patients. The diabetes was diagnosed in patients between 2nd and 28th year. At the moment of the insulin pump therapy initiation the youngest patient was 16 year-old and the oldest patient was 56 year-old. Glycated hemoglobin before the insulin pump therapy initiation ranged between 5.2 and 12.4%, and after starting insulin pump therapy between 5.2 and 9.8%. Three female patients achieved pregnancyand healthy offspring, and also one male patient had healthy offspring. Seven female patients are in the process of planning pregnancy. The most common diabetes complications was diabetic nephropathy and neuropathy, and the most common comorbidity was primary hypothyroidism in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. Finally, the study results showed that glycoregulation was significantly better in patients with continuous nurses support than those with standard care.

Conclusions: The nurse has a very important role in the insulin pump implantation team in education of the patients for using insulin pump and better understanding its technical characteristics, as well as knowing how to calculate carbohydrate units for the each meal. Improving awareness of insulin pump therapy as a mode of insulindelivery and creating confidence in caring for patients with insulin pump is essential in improving their glycoregulation.