User's Manual

Achieve Healthy, Safe Pumping
Again, frequent blood glucose checks are the key to avoiding
potential problems. Detecting low blood glucose early lets you
treat it before it becomes a problem.
Check with your healthcare provider for guidance in any and all
areas listed above.
To treat hypoglycemia (low blood glucose)
Any time your blood glucose is low, treat it immediately.
Check it every 15 minutes while you are treating, to make sure
you don’t over-treat the condition and cause blood glucose
levels to rise too high.
Even if you cannot check your blood glucose, do NOT
wait to treat symptoms of hypoglycemia, especially if you
are alone.
1. If blood glucose is 80 mg/dl or below, eat or drink 15 grams of
fast-acting carbohydrate, such as glucose tablets, juice, or
hard candy (see “How much is 15 grams of carbohydrate?”).
Do NOT use chocolate or candy bars to treat low blood
glucose. Their fat content slows down glucose absorption.
2. Check blood glucose again after 15 minutes.
3. If blood glucose remains low, take another 15 grams of
carbohydrate.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until blood glucose is within target range.
5. Investigate possible cause for hypoglycemia to avoid
similar problems in the future (see “Possible causes of low
blood glucose”).
How much is 15 grams of carbohydrate?
Examples of fast-acting foods:
• Three 5-gram glucose tablets, or four 4-gram tablets
• 4 ounces of orange juice
• 6 lifesavers or similar hard candy
• 1/2 can of regular (non-diet) soda
• 2 tablespoons of table sugar, honey, or corn syrup
Teach people you trust (like family members and close
friends) how to give a glucagon injection. You will need
to rely on them to give it to you if you have severe
hypoglycemia and become unconscious. Include a copy
of the glucagon instructions in your emergency kit and
periodically review the procedure with family and friends.
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