Insulin Pump Therapy for Diabetes Sufferers

Children diabetes sufferers should be able to access insulin pumps readily.
Young diabetics (Type 1 diabetes or also known as “juvenile” diabetes) who are apt to use the insulin pump, to access it more easily.
“We want to give a voice to diabetic children and to their parents; they
are the first concerned. Each morning, they are the ones facing the many
challenges that diabetes puts into their lives. You cannot take a break from diabetes”, said Danielle Brie, Director General of the Diabetic Children’s Foundation.
The insulin pump therapy is an intensive form of diabetes therapy which
aims at improving glycemia control. It calls upon an external pump, powered by cells, of the size of a pager. The pump permanently releases fast action insulin under the skin by tubing called catheter. The catheter is inserted, using a small needle which can be withdraw, leaving the catheter in place under the skin; we thus avoid a new needle injection every time.
“The insulin pump therapy allows a more precise dosage of insulin. It
represents a true advantage for children whose control of the diabetes is more difficult – they have a variable appetite, an unpredictable level of activities and repeated viral infections. By adjusting the insulin doses with a higher degree of accuracy, we obtain an optimal control of the glycemia”, explains Dr Isabelle Bouchard, pediatrician at the CHUL (Centre hospitalier de l’Université Laval).
Currently two children out of 1,000 in Quebec suffer from diabetes, which represent between 2,000 and 5,000 in total. Within the country, it is estimated that approximately two million Canadians suffer from diabetes, including 10% of Type 1 diabetes. A phenomenal progression of the disease is feared in the coming years. The coalition thus gives itself another objective, which is to promote information on Type 1 diabetes by declaring that this disease constitutes “a true plague”.
Using an insulin pump is one of the ways to ensure not only better
treatment for Type 1 diabetes but also quality of life for young diabetics.
This pump costs approximately $6,000.00, its lifespan is eight years and the necessary supply to its use comes to $3,500.00 annually. The real problem lies in the fact that, presently, the Public Health Insurance Plan does not cover the costs of the insulin pump. It is refundable by certain private insurers; and it differs from one insurer to another.
However, we think it is worth specifying that the insulin pump therapy is not indicated for all diabetics. It gives good results to motivated people who properly understand the restrictions of diabetes. But this pump largely improves people’s quality of life, while enabling them to live almost normally. It also improves the parent’s quality of life, relieved of the trauma of daily injections or of the complications caused by the crises which occur when diabetes is not controlled as well. It also avoids keeping parents from work or daily activities, which results in costs to the Quebec economy.
The Quebec Partnership for Diabetes Action (QPDA), which regroups parents and professionals, has as long-term objective to improve the quality of life for diabetics of all ages.