Indications for peritoneal insulin infusion

True subcutaneous insulin resistance

• In patients with true subcutaneous insulin resistance, insulin injected subcutaneously is degraded and therefore cannot take effect. Such patients are dependent on a continuous intravenous or intraperitoneal insulin supply to survive.

Labile diabetes

• Patients with brittle-syndrome diabetes have blood sugar levels which fluctuate very severely between hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, without any advance warning. Such patients are often totally unaware of their hypoglycaemia. When port therapy is used, the blood sugar characteristics become more regular. In many cases, the patient becomes aware of the hypoglycaemia again.

Delayed insulin absorption

• Subcutaneous fatty tissue absorbs insulin only very slowly. As a result, such patients have a very long insulin response time. With port therapy, the insulin takes effect in roughly the same time as with insulin infused in the artery.

Allergies

• Diabetics suffering from an allergy to nickel or adhesive materials can benefit from port therapy. The ports consists of a titanium alloy which causes no allergic reactions to nickel. As the infusion set can be worn without any dressings, reactions to adhesives also no longer occur.

Lipohypertrophy or Lipoatrophy

• Some diabetics react to injections with an increase or decrease in fatty tissue at the injection site. Port therapy can remedy such problems. As the ports carry insulin directly into the body, subcutaneous reactions no longer occur.

Extremely slim persons

• Patients with very little subcutaneous fatty tissue often find it difficult to locate a suitable injection point where the needle or catheter does not cause pain.

Needle phobia

• Diabetics who are seriously afraid of needles will find port therapy beneficial, as no needles are involved when a port is used. However, blood sugar must still be measured!

Severe skin scarring and chronic dermatological problems

• Patients who have suffered from diabetes for many years are often unable to find areas of skin where there is no scarring caused by the many injections over the years. Ports make injection superfluous. In patients with chronic dermatological problems, a port can also bring relief. The result is an improved diabetes treatment.