Pump + water = disaster

Allongsound

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I noticed a page within your site which claims that the Medtronic pump is waterproof to IPX7 link: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin-pumps/waterproof-insulin-pumps.html

Where did you get this information from? I only ask as it is entirely false. The Medtronic insulin pump is not a submersible unit. We have lost two units now due to accidental submersion, the most recent of which was in only 2ft of water for 2 minutes! This latest incident resulted in my son being administered too much insulin by the (apparently functional) pump, meaning a desperate midnight fight to regain control of his sugar!

Medtronic's technical support team advised us that anything more than a slight bit of moisture (caught in a little bit of rain) is likely to damage the pump, causing potential malfunctions!
 

phoenix

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Many years ago Medtronic used to say that their pump was waterproof however they found that people got hairline cracks in the casing which allowed water in. After that they no longer described their pumps as waterproof.
I agree that the page you link to on the main part of the website is wrong is suggesting that the Veo ,one of the 'waterproof pumps' mentioned can " be used for bathing, showering or spending time in a swimming pool as long as you keep within the depths and times specified by the pump."
Medtronic itself says quite a bit about what to do if it does get wet including
Our MiniMed Veo insulin pumps have an IPX7 rating, which means they can typically withstand an accidental dunk or splash but you should avoid immersing your pump in water
,(scroll down to the bit about water damage)
https://www.medtronic-diabetes.co.uk/customer-support/insulin-pumps/important-safety-information
It's probably that this post will be missed by those that write the editorial part of the site. I will tag the administrator so that she can see the post @Giverny)

I hope that the incident hasn't put your son (or you) off his pump. It is always very scary when you have a bad hypo at night. Personally, I've been using metronic pumps for almost 7 years (I had my first one for 6 years before replacement) and I've found them excellent.

One though did occur , did you do a self test on the pump after it was immersed?
 
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Allongsound

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Hi, yes we did a self test pretty soon after the incident. It worked, but we still were not confident that it was operating properly... I think after the first incident where the pump seemed to function ok, but then (luckily before his bed time) it just died. He is fine, thank goodness! He absolutely hates the injections, so I think it would take a lot to put him off of the pump :)

Medtronic did send a replacement out today, although I must say the U.S. call centre were less than helpful for the most part.

I only stumbled across the page through researching waterproof pumps/pouches, as swimming is a regular activity. We also go to spend time with family in Bermuda fairly often, which involves a fair bit of time on boats. We do have a waterproof bag for when we take the pump off, which allows us to safely transport it from boat to beach, but it doesn't allow for the tube...
 

Giverny

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Thanks for pointing this out, Allongongsound. The list on the site was based on official literature that we had received, but has now been altered.
 
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bonerp

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I took a dip (thanks to my dappy daughter pushing me in the pool before I managed to take it off) with my paradigm 754 minimed veo and it survived. I also wear it when kayaking - it is under my wetsuit though. No problems so far. I think its quite poor they cannot make them waterproof.
 

noblehead

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The pods for the Omnipod are waterproof too but not the PDM.
 

Spiker

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The Animas Vibe is waterproof, you can swim in it. I have done many times.
 

Chas C

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My Combo is water proof, fell into the sea and had to swim for 10 mins - had no issues.