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Medtronic pump failures in news

The DM might have helped more if they told people what the possible problem was rather than frightening them. There also seems to be a bit of misinformation.
This is the letter that apparently people should have received. (this was certainly the case in France)
I remember a post on this forum about it as well.
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/fsn/ ... 254858.pdf

It wasn't a recall because there is only a problem if the pump is damaged; it's just getting you to check it. The Mail implies that the Aussies treated it differently and earlier with a letter on the 2nd April. The UK letter is dated 28th March and the same letter on the Aussie safety website is dated 10th April !
http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/alerts-dev ... q3OZZpwZjo
(but what price facts if it makes a good story)


Since then there has also been a recall of some batches of reservoirs and silhouette infusion sets. The batch numbers are here:
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Saf ... /CON309611
 
Just been reading about this in the news. I haven't been offered a pump but I have to say that this would make me think hard and long about it if it really has caused problems as they state (waiting to hear if that lady did die because of a faulty pump). Not encouraged by this at all!
 
Dodo,
I've put the facts which are wrong in the DM article, who's to know what else is wrong?
If these pumps had been found to blame they would have been pulled by one of the worlds regulators, they haven't .
Sadly there are people who die with T1 every year. Was it really pump error in these cases, we don't know. There is no evidence to suggest that this was the problem in either case.
There are many, many people who use pumps and have done so since the late 1970s.

I've had a Medtronic for 5 years and am not scared of it. If I dropped it or bumped it hard I would check it for damage. I also test frequently so should have warnings of potential problems.
I think that article is just scaremongering.
 
As a T1 for 47 years I think I'll stick with my injections as the consensus of opinion seems to be 50/50.
 
In going on the medtronic pump in the new year and i understand pump failures happen but they are rare to kill someone from overdosing

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Unless patients that have been given any medical drug or equipment report problems through the correct channels (mhra in uk)... Then priblems will never be resolved,

I reported flexlinks when others told me it was my priblem... I reported abbott cgm probs with readings ( now abbott recalling certain strips).
When will the oublic wake up to realuse that we are actually guinea pigs.. That medical tests n trials are ****..... And start reporting properly.

I believe that there is problems with ALL. Medical drugs and equipment. It takes the public to us and report.. And notify as REAL users users to get improvements..
 
I read this on facebook, a few days ago, won't go into all the explitives I used then but, if all you can report is possibles and maybes don't bother doing a story until it has been proved that something has been wrong with the pump. I feel sorry for this woman's family but I believe it's more likely to be human error than a pump malfunction and her family are just looking for a scapegoat. How many people remeber to lock their pump buttons before they go to bed at night or forget to turn their basal rate down because they've had a really hectic day and you're likely to go low. I know I have in fact just last night bending over to sort laundry out I inadvertantly gave myself 2 units of insulin without realising. Completely my own fault!
Scaremongering without any proof as yet! In the ffion case it was prooved her pump was perfectly functional as she sent it for testing. It would have been much better for them to do a story on how many lives the pump has saved, how many complications has the pump prevented? Millions would probably be the answer worldwide. How many lives has the pump ended which have been prooved to be mechanical failure. I've not heard of one as yet.
This story has done a lot of damage not only to patients who would have been very nervous in considering a pump, where a pump may have helped them in control and freedom of lifestyle a lot, but also doing damage to the pumps reputation with HCP who it's already a struggle to get reccomendations for one for their patients.
If you use equipment it's your responibility to look after it calibrate it use the correct infusion sets etc. The vast majority of the posts I read IMHO are HUMAN ERROR. When things go wrong check it out and report it straight way don't just jump staright into blaming the equipment. In 7.5 years of pumpimg I've had 8 different pumps because they do break down, but they have never injured me in any way, they have always been tested proved faulty and replaced. It's my responibility to check what I'm using works, and when it doesn't work it's usually my fault first.
 
phoenix said:
I think that article is just scaremongering.
I don't know what else people expect from the Daily Mail really!
 
They use the word ''suspected'' in the newspaper article so there's no concrete evidence that the pump was to blame, pumps have been around since the 70's with very few incidents considering the amount of people using them.

Just the same how tragic this is for Shayla and her grieving family, 44 is no age at all!
 
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