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Saline trial of pump

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Loobee2

Newbie
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4
Hi All,
Very simple question here. End of 2nd day of pumping with saline solution - but have realised i don't know when vial of saline solution HAS to be changed. Guess i should try to do it tomorrow - at least so I practise that part of the process. Think when it's INSULIN in there, the vial has to be changed every six days if it hasn't run out before then. But it would be good to have an idea of how long the saline solution stays ok to use?
Be pleased to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
 
Can't personally talk for saline, as I went straight on to insulin after the 2 hour lesson.

HOWEVER, I can say, that the more times that you can get used to changing the reservoir and set before going live on insulin the better for when you do go live!!!!!!

Set and cartridge changes after a couple of goes, will only take minutes. HOWEVER, initally they could take an hour whilst you get your routines worked out. First time, have your manual with you. Have insulin at room temperature for at least a few hours.

I don't know when you go on to live insulin, or how many sets you have, or how many reservoirs to practice. Don't panic about time when you are practicing, OR indeed when you go on to insulin. It takes a longer time until you have your routines.......

Wishing you well, I take it that you must get a pump next week????
 
Thanks very much for speedy reply! It's actually my daughter who is pumping - but i'm helping her try to get familiar with the pump etc. Quite wish my daughter had gone straight on insulin, like you - she forgot to inject at supper today because she'd done the dose on the pump. Will take your advice about lots of changes to get better at it before next week.It did take several different infusion sets and about 45 mins of stressful reading before we finally managed to change the cannula & site on Weds. Yep, starting Novorapid on Monday. Excited but still nervous about managing levels. Thanks again for advice :)

Loobee
 
I don't think there's any reason why the saline must be changed because it doesn't go off or anything. But as already mentioned, if you have enough saline then practice changing the cartridge frequently (at every set change) so that you get used to doing it.

Which pump is your daughter using and which sets?

All the best with going live next week. We found the saline trial inconvenient as we just wanted to get going with insulin and also found it so much more work doing both pump and injections together. But I can see the benefit in that we got to practice set changes, pump commands etc in safety whilst we were learning.
 
Thanks very much for your reply SophiaW. My daughter's using the Accuchek Spirit Combo Pump and the D-link set.

It took an hour to make the first cartridge & set change. I know it's not actually that complicated a process but it doesn't seem to be described in its entirety in any one set of instructions we have been given in the package of stuff we got with the pump. We ended up trying to do it through referring to 3 different sets of instructions, one of which seemed to have gone missing!

Nevermind - it was the same when we started the injections, so i know that we'll get it sorted out eventually. We'll do it again today to make sure we have got it before starting insulin.

I agree, I can see why they do the trial bit it is a bit frustrating at times.
 
Hi

I'm using the Combo and it will be coming up nearly a year in a couple of months. The Rapid D is the best set that Accu chek do for ease of use with most adults and kids. I definately like it and have used the Flexlinks and the Tenderlink. What I do suggest is that you go online and get yourself some sample sprays of Lift Plus and Appeeel medical adhesive remover. Two squirts with a 10sec gap between each one will make taking the Rapid D out fairly easy.

Do take your time with filling the cartridges up with insulin. Whatever technique you use, stick to it, as what you don't want to be doing is injecting air downwards into the vial on one attempt and then on another, injecting air upwards. This tends to cause problems and can actually prevent the piston in the pump from being able to push insulin through and can cause the occlusion msg to start bleeping. Also, when starting a new vial of insulin only inject no more than 150u of air into it. This is really important especially if injecting air downwards. If you try to inject 200 or 300u the back pressure will be so great that you won't be able to hold the plunger down while you tip the insulin vial up the other way. What will happen is that insulin will push the plunger completely out the end of the cartridge because of the pressure, so only inject 150u for a couple of cartridge changes until the insulin starts to go down in the vial.

Regarding air bubbles lol lol - this is very common with the cartridges and I doubt if you will be able to have no more than a couple of days without a bubble appearing in the cartridge. My moto now is while the bubble is in the cartridge - don't worry. When you can't see the bubble anymore in the cartridge, then it will be somewhere in the tube and that's the time to do a prime and get rid of it by unclipping the tube clip from the set. If your daughter is able to, try to keep the pump with the tube pointing downwards or diagnonal and then the bubble shouldn't go into the tube.

Good luck, practice today with filling up the cartridges if you can with insulin. Make sure your GP will give you Aviva teststrips about 300. I took a tub of 50 with me when I got my pump as the hospital didn't have any and neither did the Accu chek pump rep.
 
I use the Accu-check Combi as well, my second pump had the older blue spirit before hand..

When I'm filling up my cartridge I put in the equal amount of air into the vial as I intend to take out, same as I was taught to do many years ago when vial and syringe was the only option...

So when I'm filling up a full cartridge I inject a full cartridge of air into the vial yes if it's a new vial then there is pressure behind but haven't found this to be a problem though..


As to sets, well I hated the D-links and much prefer the angled tenderlinks which I self insert, the plus side of self insertion you tend not to get the problems of bent cannulars! I've had my 1st bent cannular in 3 years of pumping recently! But it's is preferance at the end of the day, best thing to do is ask Roche for samples try them all and see which one your daughter prefers..

It's the same with insulin in cartridges I have a very small requirement for insulin, so a full cartridge last me around 15 days, which I don't find a problem but will if we're going having a mini-heat wave half fill my cartridge though... When you change the cartridge you don't have to change sets or tubing if it's not your normal day to change, just change the cartridge..

I never found the need to use a 'lifter' or any adhesive remover, no problems with any discomfort removing the patch's, and found that leave very little marks behind, which are normally removed when I have a bath at night with normal washing!
 
The rapid d links are excellent, especially in the case of a hypo, very easy to just disconnect in a case of a hypo.

Hubby had to do this once to me. He found it easier just to disconnect the tubes from each other, than to fiddle round with the remote control.....

This was an extreme case over New Year, where I though my hands were clean, but they gave a reading of 15+...so I did an extra bolus and extra big temp basal rate-I wasn't high at all-finger not perfect clean, and 2 minutes later I was off in to hypo land.....did test because I felt hypo, NOW I ALWAYS wash hands!!!!!

A new fellow pumper, who was given a veo as a trial pump is adamant that he wants a combo pump, as he wants the remote control and to wear his pump on his arm as I do. He has found that the pump is good, but doesn't like having to take it off to change things, and especially as he is having to make a lot of changes since his start up 10 days ago.

Best of luck for going on the insulin.......loads of help around on here....and from my experience -nothing is a daft question!!!!
 
Thanks so much to everyone who's replied, really good advice from you all. Have now succeeded in doing second cartridge change, to make sure we've got the feel of it before going on insulin. Was much quicker this time, only taking about 15mins or so. Glad that we've finally (sort of) got the hang of it.
I know what you mean donnellysdogs, we've had similar experiences - thought BG was 20 but was in fact only 5 or so... Had quite a few scares due to hands not being washed properly, especially as we often use the shortcut of wet cotton wool when we're out and about - or in class. Going on insulin tomorrow :D
Thanks again all,

Loobee x
 
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