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Air bubbles Accu Chek insight

Jo1407

Active Member
Have had a nightmare three weeks with my son running high in the 20's. First thoughts were he's moved to secondary school, so less active, then is he running a virus as he'd be feeling pretty yuck, then perhaps he's not settling at school, so it's stress. Blah blah blah. Have changed lots of pump settings over last three weeks trying to resolve highs.

I was under the impression that we'd not get air bubbles using the insight pump so I wasn't looking for them. Last night I took his pump off him to check insulin was running through and spotted the air bubbles. After another bad night, and a 45 minute bike ride this morning to burn off sugar, he was still running at 21.4 and climbing. We changed everything again, and I spotted air bubbles in the tubing I'd taken off. At lunchtime rang Roche and the helpline adviser suggested it could be a faulty batch of tubing. So, after another change of tubing and insulin he was down to 4.2 before tea, then was hypo during tea. More than likely due to all of the ratio and basal changes I've been making to sort out bloods....hopefully everything should settle soon, although I've a feeling I'll be dealing with a few more hypos! I need to send back to Roche the two tubings I've got with the air bubbles in.

Are air bubbles like hens teeth with the insight as I've spoken to at least three nurses on our team in the last three weeks about these hypers and no ones suggested bubbles? We even had our annual check yesterday and he was BG24 in the waiting room.

Hoping for some well needed sleep...zzzzzz
 
Following on from yesterday, he was 19 at 4am! Basically back to square one. Roche said I'm doing everything right, except need to try longer tubing to test out the pump vertical with tubing pointing down. Roche say air bubbles are still possible. Nurses say I'm doing everything right....... What's going on??
 
I feel for you. That's a lot of highs. You could ask the hospital if they've a loaner pump you could borrow (that's no an Insight) to see if that makes a difference.
 
Unfortunately air bubbles will be more common in Accuchek pumps than others. I always kept my Combo pump diagonal in my bra so that an air bubble would float to the top of the cartridge and not get into the tube. Keeping the pump vertical is a good idea but not sure if the pump clip allows this so that the black tube connector is at the bottom and not the top.
 
What cannulas are being used? Insight only has flex cannulas at moment???

May be just that the flex cannulas dont suit him. Is he lean?

Are any of the cannulas kinked when removed?

Are the settings right for the priming of the cannulas?

I wore my pump on my arm trapped between tubigrip layers. And just fed tge tube directly down before back up and the sets always went in my bum.

If the first correction doesnt bring levels down do you swop son to injection for next correction?
 
How big are the air bubbles, from memory I think a 5mm bubble (quite large) is about 1 unit of insulin. Worth checking as small bubbles would have minimal impact. Also depands on how much insulin your son is using.

BTW undertaking exercise with a high BG does not lower but raises your BG.
 
thank you today we have tried and failed to use the flip case on his front trouser pocket. this would be only way to keep the pump vertical. looks like i'll need to order one of the thigh strap.s
 

thank you, yes he's on the flex. we have noticed an occasional bent cannula, but not every time. the insulin always primes ok. i've now been searching google for unexplained hyper on pump. we had a good night from yesterday tea-time to todays breakfast. then a call from school at 10am reading of 22! there are so many variables to consider. I'm thinking of a few days back on the pen just so he doesn't miss school :-(
 

You could try putting the Insight in a trouser pocket and making a slit at the back of the pocket in the middle. That way the pump would be vertical and the pump tube could be thread through the slit in the pocket and join the Flexlink set.
 
I have been getting large bubbles in mine for over a year and a half, had a new pump and still the same. I have contacted Roche loads and tried all the suggetions they have given me and still the same. I just check regulary and bleed them out, unfortunatley this meand a full set change every 2-3 days instead of the 6 days I was getting before the bubbles started
 

You might need to look at the basal rates again to make sure that they don't need adjusting. Also, are you sure that no food has been eaten between breakfast and 10am as that will make bg go up
 
@Jo1407 I'm so sorry to hear this. No advice to offer as I haven't encountered this before as @Gaz-M has, and I think @Type1Lad had, before he got his Omnipod - but do keep feeding back to Roche what's happening!

It's frustrating to have such problems when we need to rely on this equipment - it's a worry. Hope your world soon becomes bubble-free (apart from the ones in a glass of something nice and fizzy).

I really hope you get sorted soon, as it must be driving you up the wall.

Hugs.



(Edited as accidentally tagged wrong member - sorry!)
 
Last edited:
iHs said:
You might need to look at the basal rates again to make sure that they don't need adjusting. Also, are you sure that no food has been eaten between breakfast and 10am as that will make bg go up
Click to expand...

Thank you. But no food. He was actually tested at 9:10, not long into school day. He's safely back on the pen for the next week just so he can have some continuity in his first term in secondary school.
 
iHs said:
You could try putting the Insight in a trouser pocket and making a slit at the back of the pocket in the middle. That way the pump would be vertical and the pump tube could be thread through the slit in the pocket and join the Flexlink set.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. I'll have a look at how I can adapt a pocket.
 
Hi @IceLover

It does appear that many more people post about having problems with the Insight than any other pump so by law of averages there must be issues with it - or at the very least issues with the way it can be operated.

I'm an insight user and I'm very pleased with the operation of my pump, I'm not seeing the issues reported by others.

I have had one pump die on me whilst I was on holiday and it was replaced under warranty by Roche (sadly it took 3-4 days for a new pump to arrive there was no urgency on their part to get it to me quickly).

Chas
 
Chas C said:
I'm an insight user and I'm very pleased with the operation of my pump, I'm not seeing the issues reported by others.
Click to expand...
Ditto @Chas C . And ironically a different pump that I was really interested in was the one that my team didn't recommend due to the large number of failures their patients had experienced.

They recommended the Insight and only wanted me to have that one! Fortunately I'm very happy with it, and would recommend it based on my own experience.

It seems to be a minefield, @IceLover !

 
Once we get to the bottom of the issues we're seeing with high bloods I hope that the insight goes back to being our best friend. Seeing the rep on Friday. Hoping for answers.
 
Jo1407 said:
Once we get to the bottom of the issues we're seeing with high bloods I hope that the insight goes back to being our best friend. Seeing the rep on Friday. Hoping for answers.
Click to expand...

Hi Jo1407, I hope you managed to get some answers from the rep. I’m on the spirit combo and get quite a few air bubbles. I think the issue with air bubbles is more to do with the insulin than the pump itself hence why accu-check aren’t much help. After months of calling accu-check with no help I spoke to my DSN who said that the insulin being kept close to the body can change its temperature and cause the air bubbles she suggested I use a frio pump pouch(think that’s what it is called) I’ve not used one yet as I wear my pump in my bra and not sure it would fit once in the pouch. I hope this helps. I understand the frustration with air bubbles.
 
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