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Contact Detach Infusion Set - Needle Part-Blocking

teasytux

Active Member
Messages
27
Location
Cornwall
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hello All,
Does anyone else get this problem of the contact-detach infusion set needle getting partly blocked with blood?
I have been type 1 for 39 years and this is my second week pumping with the Animas 2020. Initially things were going good until 2 complete set changes. Usually towards the end of a new set change day things start going wrong quickly and is usually always down to blood/gunk in the needle. I haven't spoken with my official DSN yet as she's been on holiday and back 20-02-2011, only her stand-in. Its really getting me down :( I am on a 6 month pump trial because of various problems with too many hypos and not much hypo awareness. My Hba1C has been in the low to mid 6's only because of the hypos. I've carb counted for 4 years which turned my diabetes around despite the hypos. Having MDI for many years and having severe burn scars to most of my body, my sites are restricted. I also have peripheral & autonomic neuropathy causing gastroperesis/rapid heart beat, severe pain and retinopathy. Any advice from the pump community would be greatly appreciated :D
Thanks, Si.
 
Hi Si

Firstly I'm sorry to hear of your nerve problems related to diabetes. Your hba1c is very low, is this the cause of the retinopathy etc or has your a1c been much higher years ago?

Although I don't use the same set as you; I use a Tenderlink which is more or less similar I think. If you feel that the cannula is blocking with blood you can flush it with a syringe filled with some saline. The syringe needle will fit into the tiny membrane hole where the tube clip needle joins so that would free any blockages. It is fairly normal though for some blood to gather around the cannula hole. With the Tenderlink you can see where the cannula enters the skin as there is a small window in the infusion set. If this is what is bothering you, I wouldn't worry unless your blood glucose levels start to go up and you feel that insulin is not being delivered.
 
Hi, thanks for the reply!

Yes because the needle/cannula gets blocked with blood/gunk it sends my sugars racing as the insulin is not getting through. I have to change the set and site. It keeps happening quite a bit now and because things were great to start it sets off questions "am I doing something wrong" and its pretty annoying too! I'm regularly checking my BG and having a High BG bolus when its needed to keep the BG near my target, set at 7 by hospital. I know its very early days and I'm still finding my basal rates - currently 0.9 uhr and 1 uhr (1u=10gcho=2mmol). The sets I'm using I have to change every 2 days and my DSN will change me to 3 day sets later on. After MDI for 39 years I have to get my head used to doing things different and the pump is so much better, just hope my trial works out.

My Hba1c levels have fallen from quite high and since carb counting the past 4 years I became too strict, having many many hypos. The Hba1c in the low to mid 6's for 2+ years due to the hypos. The gastroperesis complicates and I ended up with all the neuropathy resulting from just not giving a care in my teens & a family loss. If only I had...comes to mind! I greatly urge everyone now to regularly test and use common sense, using myself as a poster "do you want this to happen to you?" Anyway its my fault and I don't grumble about it, just get on with it.

Thanks again and I wish you well, Si (teasytux) :)
 
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