User guide

Active Insulin
Active insulin is the bolus insulin that has already been delivered to your body, but has not yet been used.
The pump considers your active insulin time setting in determining any active insulin still in your body from
prior boluses. This may help prevent hypoglycemia caused by over-correcting for high blood glucose.
Blood glucose and A1C testing
When you check your blood glucose with a meter, you measure blood glucose at the moment you perform
the test. This number gives you key feedback for making present and day-to-day adjustments in your diabetes
management. The A1C test, done at your doctor's, shows you your average blood glucose over the last 60 to
90 days. Both blood glucose and A1C testing are necessary for good diabetes management.
BG testing
With any insulin therapy, you must monitor your blood glucose four to six times a day. With insulin pump
therapy, blood glucose testing gives you correct feedback. It also allows you to make prompt changes based
on the results. It alerts you to high blood glucose readings that need changing. It allows you to adjust your
insulin to carbohydrate ratio for certain foods. Your pump only uses fast-acting insulin; as a result, you have
no long-acting insulin as a back-up. Therefore, if your insulin delivery is disrupted on pump therapy, your
blood glucose can go dangerously high fairly fast. This can happen much faster than it could when you were
using daily injections with long-acting insulin. Blood glucose testing is needed to alert you to high blood
glucose so you can prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
A1C
A1C testing also plays a key part in diabetes management. Sustained high BG levels can cause serious long-
term problems. These problems may be prevented and/or delayed if you maintain your blood glucose levels
close to normal. The best measure of your overall blood glucose is the A1C test. It has been proven that an
A1C level of 7.0 or less greatly reduces the risk of problems from diabetes. But, any reduction in A1C is a
plus. ADA Clinical Practice Recommendations state that your A1C should be tested at least every three months
by your healthcare professional.
Your healthcare professional will rely on the results of your blood glucose tests to make changes in your pump
settings. The results of your A1C tests are used to assess your overall blood glucose control.
If you are on pump therapy, you must test your BG at least:
• Upon waking up
• Before each meal
Introduction to pump therapy 13
Chapter 2