Needle port problems

Jollymon

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Yes, @Jollymon, I know what you mean, it is almost as though one needs a spring under the port device to take up the pressure and stop the cannula being pushed further in or bending!!! Or does one place a circular cushion around the site to save any pressure affecting the site?? Just a thought???

I like angled infusion sets, which are less likely to kink with my thin skin. But angled sets can kink too, it just depends on how your skin layer moves over the muscle layer.

What we need is a shorter infusion set that only penetrates the skin layer. We need a skin layer depth gauge to only inser the cannula through the skin, and retract the rest. I don’t know how they’d create this. Especially for something considered a disposable.

My wife would say “eat a donut and beef yourself up a little”. Most people with a little extra body weight have a lot less issues with infusion set cannulas. That would be the cushion that you’re looking for. Some of us don’t have it. Maybe this is the foam tape idea that you have. The thickness of it would need to be mm thick, and not in microns.
 

kitedoc

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4,783
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black jelly beans
I like angled infusion sets, which are less likely to kink with my thin skin. But angled sets can kink too, it just depends on how your skin layer moves over the muscle layer.

What we need is a shorter infusion set that only penetrates the skin layer. We need a skin layer depth gauge to only inser the cannula through the skin, and retract the rest. I don’t know how they’d create this. Especially for something considered a disposable.

My wife would say “eat a donut and beef yourself up a little”. Most people with a little extra body weight have a lot less issues with infusion set cannulas. That would be the cushion that you’re looking for. Some of us don’t have it. Maybe this is the foam tape idea that you have. The thickness of it would need to be mm thick, and not in microns.
What about the substance used around stoma sites? The colostomy or ileostomy associations or whatever they might be called in UK or maybe even the local pharmacy might have these adhesive sealing and padding materials ?? The associations are often quite knowledgeable about what products are used for which applications. Most products have to withstand fluid (and worse), some are in paste form which sets etc. Fingers crossed that these maybe something there to consider ?? Search under headings like ostomy, colostomy, ileostomy, wound care etc. - things to look at for part use might be barrier rings, Duoderm etc.
Cost as always is the bug-bear !! But fingers crossed !!
 

kitedoc

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4,783
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Type 1
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Hi all pumpers,
Of the last 4 steel cannulas I have had two failures: in both cases the BSLs started rising with no other explanation and failure of x2 normal correction doses to significantly alter the high BSL at about the 36 hour mark.
Both times replacement of the cannula and tubing led to correction of BSLs within hours.
The Tandem pump rep has suggested the possibility that after nearly 7 years on a pump there may well be scar tissue at the level of my cannulas, that is at 6 mms. Once the tissue is pressured enough the insulin rate slows.
So ... I am going to trial some 8 mm steel cannulas in the fattest part of my abdomen (and where hopefully I have not any lipohypertrophy) !!
Watch this space .............
 

kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
Hi all pumpers,
Of the last 4 steel cannulas I have had two failures: in both cases the BSLs started rising with no other explanation and with failure of x2 normal correction doses to significantly alter the high BSL, at about the 36 hour mark.
Both times replacement of the cannula and tubing led to correction of BSLs within hours.
The Tandem pump rep has suggested the possibility that after nearly 7 years on a pump there may well be scar tissue at the level of my cannulas, that is at 6 mms. Once the tissue is pressured enough the insulin rate slows.
So ... I am going to trial some 8 mm steel cannulas in the fattest part of my abdomen (and where hopefully I have not any lipohypertrophy) !!
Watch this space .............
 
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kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
On second and a bit days of the 8 mm steel cannula (although the rep told me that steel cannulas tend to last 2 days only as the body starts to reject the steel). No problems with BSLs that I think are related to the cannula so will press on and hopefully only need to change it at day 3, but will be watchful.
The other thought was whether when a cannula is located in some scar tissue whether a more or less forceful pumping in of the bolus helps or hinders. Could the stronger bolus of the past Animas pump have dispersed the scar tissue and spread the insulin under the skin a bit better compared to the gentler bolus of the Tandem pump or not?? ? increased risk of leakage from the cannula tip up under the adhesive patch with the stronger bolusing force??
No conclusions yet!!