insulin pumps

Tips for sticking success!
Whether you are new to pump therapy or have experienced pumping in the summer months, there are some things you can do to prevent losing your infusion set or sensor placement due to moisture. The following are site care tips for everyday living.

Infusion set care

If you find that you are occasionally losing infusion sites, make sure you are using an IV prep™ pad which leaves a sticky substance on the skin, then try placing an IV 3000™ dressing (Smith & Nephew) under the infusion set. This is called the “sandwiching” technique. If you are using an insertion device to place your set, you will need to cut a hole in the middle of the dressing before inserting the infusion set. If you are placing your infusion set manually, you can insert the needle through the dressing and stick it down. If you continue to lose infusion sets from sweat, you may try using a roll on antiperspirant (fragrance and powder free) on your desired site a day prior to inserting the infusion set.

Other tips
•  There are many different adhesive products on the market. Talk to your pump nurse about other options if you find that you continue to have problems.
• Do not use lotions or oils on the area you are planning to use tape.
• Use a dissolving agent such as “goo gone” available at Wal mart or “Unisolve” to remove any adhesive residue. Make sure to cleanse this area after using adhesive dissolving agents as they can irritate the skin if left on.
• Stretch the skin slightly while applying the adhesives.

Do you have a skin care tip? Share it with us by emailing your tip to: clinidiabet@gmail.com
J. Milliken RN CDE
insulin pumps > tips for sticking success!