How-To Guide

Example 1: Basal patterns
Ken has had his insulin pump for about a month. He tests his BG four to six times
a day and records his results in his logbook. He is happy with his glucose control
during the week but on the weekends, he noticed that he has to eat more food to
prevent his BG from running too low.
Ken has realized that during the week while he is at work, he is very inactive and
sits at a desk most of the time. On the weekends, though, he is busy with yard
work, running errands, and playing with his kids. Ken plans to speak with his
healthcare professional to see if he should add a different Basal Pattern to lower
his basal settings to receive less insulin during active times, such as his weekends.
He can use the Basal Patterns feature to support his weekend change in activity.
During the week, he can set his pump to deliver his Basal 1 pattern, and on
Saturday morning, he can switch over to his Weekend pattern, which he can set
with lower basal rates for the weekend. On Monday morning, he can return his
pump to the Basal 1 pattern for his weekday insulin needs.
Example 2: Basal patterns
Cynthia has had diabetes for about 12 years and has been on her pump for several
weeks. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Cynthia goes on a two mile walk in
the morning. To prevent hypoglycemia on these days, she uses a different basal
pattern. For those days, she simply switches over to Basal 2, which she has
programmed with a lower set of basal rates. Before she learned to use the patterns
feature, she would have to eat more food throughout the day to keep her BG at a
safe level. Cynthia has also noticed that a few days prior to menstruation, her BG
levels seem to rise, requiring more insulin. She has programmed a Basal 3 pattern
on her pump with higher basal rates for this time.
Temp basal rates
The Temp Basal feature and Preset Temp feature allow you to set temporary basal
rates to manage BG levels during short-term activities or conditions that require a
basal rate different than your current one, such as an illness or a change in
physical activity. You can make an immediate change to your basal insulin to a
value up to your max basal rate. The period of time of your temporary basal rate
can range from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
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Basal
Basal 71