Insulin Infusion Set Use: European Perspectives and Recommendations

Insulin pump users worldwide depend on insulin infusion sets (IISs) for predictable delivery of insulin to the subcutaneous tissue. Yet emerging data indicates that IISs are associated with many pump-related adverse events and may contribute to potentially life-threatening problem of unexplained hyperglycemia. The relative scarcity of published research on IISs to date, the heterogeneity of regional IIS practices, and the increasing demand for international standards guiding their use prompted convening of a panel of diabetologists and diabetes nurse educators last February, in Milan, Italy, to discuss a framework for optimizing IIS practice in Europe. The multinational panel was tasked, first, with identifying the often-overlooked IIS issues that can affect patients' experience of pump therapy—e.g., partial or complete blockage of the cannula, skin pathologies, unpredictable variations in insulin absorption, dislodgment, and the demands of site rotation and set changes—and, second, with establishing direction for developing cohesive protocols to assure long-term success. As reported in this article, the panel examined IIS-related complications of pump therapy encountered in clinical practice, considered country-wide policies to prevent and mitigate such complications, and updated priorities for improving IIS education on issues of device selection, skin care, and troubleshooting unexplained hyperglycemia. These recommendations may be more relevant with the possibility of closed-loop systems available in the near future.