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When changing cartridge..

K8tie_x

K8tie_x

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So the time is rapidly approaching for me to do my first cartridge change

I keep familiarising myself with the steps in my guide but I can't remember whether I need to change my line and cannula with every cartridge change?

I'm using an Aviva Combo with Rapid D Links if this makes any difference?
 
When changing a carrtridge I always change everything. Then every 2~3 days change cannula, and every 5~6 days change both cannula and tubing.

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I'm same as above, every 3 days just the cannula then every 6 days the cartridge plus cannula and tubing. When I order supplies I order half my cannulas with tubing and half without. I am not particularly strict about the times I change though!
 
DSN advised to change cannula every 2 days and line every 6 days but I wasn't sure how this fit in with the cartridge changes. Thanks for the above advise I will change the full lot when it's time.. Feeling quite nervous about the first cartridge change I'm hoping once I've done it I won't feel so daunted by the whole process!
 
Hello K8tie

Not sure what advice accu chek now give regarding filling cartridges..... but if its still the same as it was in 2010 then you might get problems with the air bubble appearance which magically appears after the cartridge has gone into the pump. It pays to leave a small space underneath the bottom of the cartridge and the top of the piston. So if you have 150u in the cartridge, advance the piston in the pump up to 160u to leave the small gap and then press the prime mode to start pushing insulin up the tube etc to the other end. This should prevent the appearance of the air bubble appearing. The other way is to put cartridge in pump and then advance the piston upwards until it reaches the bottom of the cartridge and starts to push insulin through the tube. Once that starts, press stop on pump and then activate the prime function again to push insulin through the other end of the tube and then press stop again and then start. Prime yr set and then ur done. If you keep the pump close to yr body, then get the cartridge up to body temp for 8hrs b4 you put it in the pump. Theres a big difference between room temp and body temp.......

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Thanks for your advice, how do you go about getting the cartridge to body temp and do you mean before or after you've filled it with insulin? I can't wait to be abit more experienced with this!!
 
Hi I've been using a pump for just over a year now so still a bit of a newbie!!! I was advised by DSN to get the bottle of insulin up to body temperature before I fill cartridge. I do this by popping it inside my bra for about 45 mins before filling cartridge. Seem to work for me.:)
 
Sorry K8tie, should have said....

Fill the cartridge with insulin from vial. I keep insulin in the fridge myself but others keep it in the living room. What ever way u store the vial in use doesnt matter that much as unless the room temperature is fairly warm, the insulin in the cartridge still wont be warm enough to be at body temp so once youve filled the cartridge, cap it off and put in yr bra for a few hrs to get to body temp. I keep the pump in my bra as its out of the way and is nice and safe and no one ever sees it.

Once the cartridge has got to body temp, u should see 1 or 2 air bubbles appearing. Just hold the cartridge upright in good light and using yr thumb nail, flick the bubble up to the top of cartridge and try to get the bubble to line up in the centre under the luer neck and then using the blue plunger thing gently push the bubble up the neck and remove the cartridge cap holding a piece of tissue paper to catch the tiny amount of insulin that will come out. Once youve done that, cap the cartridge off again keeping it upright and then twist in new tube into black cartridge adaptor and take off cap and push the black adaptor with tube already in it onto the cartridge and keeping the pump upright, insert the whole lot in the pump and tighten up the new tube in the black adaptor. U should with any luck be ok and not get any problems.




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Thank you so much you've just made my life a hell of a lot easier, very much appreciated!
 
I have just been reading through the leaflet that came with my Apidra insulin (Like you do!) and it says ‘The infusion set & reservoir should be changed every 48 hours’. My DSN said it should be changed every four days (I use the steel Rapid-D cannula & an Accu-Chek Combo) and every three days if I switch to soft cannula. The Accu-Chek handbook says every 24 to 48 hours for steel cannula and every 48 to 72 hours for soft cannula.
I currently change every four days and have for some time. I wonder who is right???
 
Platinum - although I don't have the Accu-Chek Combo, the Animas rep told us that if you use a steel cannula you should change it at least every 2 days to prevent infection. The soft cannula should be changed every 3 days for the same reason. Personally I wouldn't ever take any chances.
 
Hi Lucie75
I do change my steel cannula at least every two days. The point I was making (Very badly I guess!) was what about the insulin? – Who should you believe?
 
I was told to change the cartridge every 4 days, but the insulin manufacturer says every 2 days and the pump manufacturer says up to 3 days (For soft cannula). Every 4 days has worked for me so far, but I wonder how well the insulin actually works after four hot days in summer?
 
Understood Platinum!! I change everything every 3 days, saves having to remember what to do when.
 
That was one of my big worries with getting a pump, how the insulin can be next to your body for the length of time it takes to empty the cartridge, but I'm into my 5th day of a cartridge and will be changing it tomorrow but not noticed any change in effectiveness of the insulin. Phew! Let's hope the summer doesn't bring any problems, I'd be interested if any if the experienced pumpers have any experiences with problems in summer.
 
I keep my pump away from my body, in an adjustable bra pouch, attached to my pants at night or in lounge trousers so doesn't get to warm. Lucie I got told the same with my animas soft every 3 days, so I change the whole thing, steel every 2 days.
 
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Hi we were told to change everything 3 days later. This includes tubing & cannula. We were also told to throw everything away including excess insulin. They said the insulin was the cheapest thing in the whole setup!!! We also put the insulin bottle that will be used next in a cupboard to get it up to room temp. All others are kept in fridge. We were in France last year and the difference in her insulin requirements were unreal. She needed far less insulin overall her body responded much better in the sun despite eating all the same types and quantities of food. I bought one of those frio bags for transporting it on holiday and also when we went to the pool she took it off and we put it in frio bag in cool bag in shade. Didn't seem to have any problems. Hope all going well


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