By providing blood glucose (BG) concentration measurements in an almost continuous-time fashion for several consecutive days, wearable minimally-invasive continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors are revolutionizing diabetes management, and are becoming an increasingly adopted technology especially for diabetic individuals requiring insulin administrations. Indeed, by providing glucose real-time insights of BG dynamics and trend, and being equipped with visual and acoustic alarms for hypo- and hyperglycemia, CGM devices have been proved to improve safety and effectiveness of diabetes therapy, reduce hypoglycemia incidence and duration, and decrease glycemic variability. Furthermore, the real-time availability of BG values has been stimulating the realization of new tools to provide patients with decision support to improve insulin dosage tuning and infusion. The aim of this paper is to offer an overview of current literature and future possible developments regarding CGM technologies and applications. In particular, first, we outline the technological evolution of CGM devices through the last 20 years. Then, we discuss about the current use of CGM sensors from patients affected by diabetes, and, we report some works proving the beneficial impact provided by the adoption of CGM. Finally, we review some recent advanced applications for diabetes treatment based on CGM sensors.
Acoustics ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Incidence ; Insulin ; Insulin Infusion Systems

PURPOSE: Insulin pumps are widely used in diabetes. They are equipped with safety alarms to alert users. Pump manuals contain alarm codes and how to troubleshoot them. However, these manuals are lengthy and difficult to use, particularly in emergencies. We aim to assess the impact of targeted education on warnings and errors in improving competency to troubleshoot the alarms. METHODS: Twenty-one patients, with a median age of 13, were recruited over a 5-month period. Each patient had 2 study visits. The frequencies and types of alarms were recorded, and patients were given a summary sheet that outlined common alarms encountered and troubleshooting tips. In visit 2, the frequencies and types of alarms were compared to those of visit 1. The patients were asked to fill a questionnaire and to rate the education session given in visit 1, their level of competency in decrypting alarm codes, and their promptness in responding to alarms. RESULTS: Low cartridge (W1), low battery (W2), and bolus cancelled (W8) were the commonest warnings. The most noted errors were occlusion (E4), power interruption (E8), empty battery (E2), set not primed (E11), and cartridge empty (E1). The numbers of warning and error signals markedly decreased after targeted education (P < 0.05). The ability in decrypting warning signals significantly improved (P=0.02), and the frequency of response to pump alarms significantly increased (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Certain warnings and errors are more common than others in insulin pumps. Targeted education is useful in improving competency and response of patients in managing pump alarms.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Clinical Alarms ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Education* ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Insulin Infusion Systems ; Insulin* ; Medical Errors

In terms of performance of piezoelectric micro pump, this paper explores the piezoelectric ceramic plate in different wave driven micro pump flow rate. The conclusion is that the square wave voltage gets the biggest micro pump velocity. The velocity and pressure of the micro pump is almost linear relationship, and having nothing to do with the different inner diameter pipes. The piezoelectric micro pump's stability is not good and exists attenuation.
Ceramics ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; Insulin Infusion Systems

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare disease requiring insulin treatment. Its treatment is primarily focused on maintaining adequate glycemic control and avoiding hypoglycemia. Although insulin pump therapy is frequently administered to adults and children, there is no consensus on the use of insulin pumps in NDM. A 10 day-old female infant was referred to us with intrauterine growth retardation and poor weight gain. Hyperglycemia was noted, and continuous intravenous insulin infusion was initiated. However, the patient's serum glucose levels fluctuated widely, and maintaining the intravenous route became difficult within the following weeks. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with an insulin pump was introduced on the twenty-fifth day of life, and good glycemic control was achieved without any notable adverse effects including hypoglycemia. We suggest that the insulin pump is a safe and effective mode for treating NDM and its early adoption may shorten the length of hospital stays in patients with NDM.
Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Insulin Infusion Systems* ; Insulin ; Length of Stay ; Rare Diseases ; Weight Gain

Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia arising from a combination of insufficient insulin secretion and resistance to insulin action. Insulin has become an important agent in treating this disease, but long-term administration of insulin not only brings pain and inconvenience to the patients but also causes local adipose tissue atrophy and scleroma. Therefore, novel delivery method has become a hot topic, mainly including improving delivery systems, developing new recombinant insulin, and changing the route of administration. This article introduces DUROS (an implanted delivery system), a new route of drug administration.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Insulin Infusion Systems

BACKGROUND: The long term complications of diabetes lead to diminished quality of life. As a means to avoid these complicationss, insulin therapy had evolved into a specialized regimen to achieve physiologic control of blood glucose, the so-called Multiple Daily Insulin (MDI) regimen which is a relatively new technique in the Philippines.
OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of Multiple Daily Insulin regimen in controlling plasma glucose and to evaluate patient's satisfaction with MDI regimen among Filipino type 2 diabetics who have been on MDI for at least 2 months.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Filipino patients (n=107) with uncontrolled diabetes were included in the study protocol. The majority were male, more than 60 years old and had been diabetic for more than 6 years. The mean body mass index was 27 kg/m2 and the mean baseline HbA1c was 9.2% + 2.65. This prospective cohort study was conducted between January 2006 to September 2008 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital Out-Patient Department. Efficacy was evaluated by HbA1c and treatment satisfaction was assessed with the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ). Enrolled patients were followed up at week 12, 24 and 48.                                                                                                      
RESULTS: Mean HbA1c fell by 2.43 + 2.68 at week 12, 2.03 + 2.35 at week 24 and 1.73 + 2.23 at week 48 showing a statistically significant decrease of HbA1c among the 3 groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.52). The proportion of patients achieving an HbA1c of < 7% at week 12, 24, and 48 were 42%, 52% and 42%, respectively. Treatment satisfaction improved significantly (p = 0.000) with MDI regimen using the DTSQ at the end of the study.        
CONCLUSION: Multiple Daily Insulin Regimen is an effective treatment modality based on a significant lowering of HbA1c among the study population with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients were satisfied with the ragimen based on the positive treatment satisfaction. This, however, is contrary to popular belief that patients' quality of life is affected by insulin administration. Keywords: Multiple Daily Insulin Injection, Type Diabetes Mellitus, Treatment Satisfaction.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Insulin ; Insulin Infusion Systems ; Outpatients ; Philippines ; Physician-patient Relations ; Prospective Studies ; Quality Of Life ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of insulin receptor in critical ill patients with stress hyperglycemia and the effect of intensive glucose control on it.

METHODSNineteen adult patients were admitted to surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and randomly assigned into two groups: intensive glucose controlled group (to control glucose at 4.4-6.7 mmol/L) and hyperglycemia group (to control glucose at 8.3-10.0 mmol/L). Blood glucose was controlled with using continuing insulin infusion. The expression of insulin receptors (InsR) of peripheral erythrocyte was detected by radioligand assay methods on the morning of day 1, 2, 4, 7 after admitted to SICU. Daily usage of insulin and APACHE II score were recorded. The correlation of number and affinity constant of erythrocyte insulin receptors with daily dosage of insulin and APACHE II were analyzed.

RESULTSThe number and affinity constant of erythrocyte insulin receptors was decreased significantly in day 1 and 2 in both groups, and recovered gradually in day 4 and 7, and significant difference was found between the patients with APACHE II > or =15 and those with APACHE II < 15. The number and affinity constant of erythrocyte insulin receptor recovered more quickly in intensive glucose controlled group than in hyperglycemia group.

CONCLUSIONSIt indicates that decline of erythrocyte insulin receptor and its function are observed in SICU patients, and it plays a role in stress induced hyperglycemia. Intensive insulin therapy and glucose control may improve function recovery of insulin receptor.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Critical Illness ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Insulin ; therapeutic use ; Insulin Infusion Systems ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Insulin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of intensive insulin therapy on plasma nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

METHODSA total of 36 patients were randomly assigned to routine therapy (RT) group and intensive insulin therapy (IT) group, with 18 patients in each group. The blood glucose levels during surgery were maintained at 3.9 to 10.0 mmol/L and those after surgery at 3.9 to 6.1 mmol/L in IT group, whereas patients in RT group didn't undergo the treatment of controlling glucose levels during operation and maintained below 13.9 mmoVL after operation. Levels of plasma NO and ET-1 in both groups were respectively measured before surgical anesthesia, at the initiation of CPB, and 0 h, 4 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after the termination of CPB.

RESULTSIn RT group, plasma NO concentration was decreased since the initiation of CPB [from (68.2 +/- 16.3) micromol/L to (67.8 +/- 8.4) micromol/L] and reached the trough at the termination of CPB [ (60.0 +/- 10.2) micromol/L, P < 0.05 compared with that before anesthesia]. Then it began to increase and neared to the preoperational level 48 h after the termination of CPB. In contrast, plasma ET-1 concentration was increased since the initiation of CPB [from (62.2 +/- 10.2) ng/L to (68.3 +/- 10.8) ng/L] and reached the peak at the termination of CPB [ (112.5 +/- 18.6) ng/L, P < 0.01 compared with that before anesthesia]. Then it began to decrease and reached the preoperational level 24 h after the termination of CPB. In IT group, however, the changes of NO and ET-1 levels at different time points during CPB and thereafter didn't reach the significance as compared with those before anesthesia.

CONCLUSIONSIntensive insulin therapy may relieve the changes of CPB-induced NO and ET-1 levels during cardiovascular surgery, which suggests its protective effects on cardiovascular function.

Adult ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; adverse effects ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Insulin ; therapeutic use ; Insulin Infusion Systems ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide ; blood

OBJECTIVETo evaluating the effect of different levels of blood glucose control on inflammatory response and prognosis of the patients in surgical intensive care unit (SICU).

METHODSOne hundred and eighty-eight patients admitted to SICU were randomly divided into three groups, blood glucose were controlled by insulin infusion. Group A (75 cases): the mean blood glucose (MBG) was maintained at the level of 4.4 - 6.1 mmol/L. Group B (75 cases): MBG was maintained at the level of 6.7 - 8.3 mmol/L. Group C (38 cases): MBG was maintained at the level of 10.0 - 11.1 mmol/L. Blood glucose control was achieved with an effected computerized protocol. The outcome was evaluated by days in ICU, days to wean mechanical ventilation, infection, amount of red blood cell transfusion, hospital mortality and ICU cost.

RESULTSCompared with other groups, hypoglycemia (< 3.3 mmol/L) in Group A was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with Group C, red blood cell transfusion and infection were significantly reduced in Group A and Group B (P < 0.05). Compared with Group C, days of mechanical ventilation and days in ICU in Group A were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Hospital mortality and ICU cost were reduced in Group A compared with the other groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTo maintain blood glucose in normal range with intensive insulin therapy has potential positive impact on SICU patients' outcome and can reduce days in ICU and ICU cost. Further correlation research is needed to determine the best levels of blood glucose in ICU patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Inflammation ; blood ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Insulin Infusion Systems ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Care ; methods ; Postoperative Complications ; blood ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDSubcutaneous absorption is accelerated by the monomeric conformation of insulin Aspart, which provides good glycemic control with a lower risk of hypoglycemia and less body weight increase. In the present study we investigated the efficacy and safety of a rapid-acting human insulin analogue (insulin Aspart) delivered with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) into Chinese diabetic patients.

METHODSA total of 21 patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes were recruited for the 2-way cross-over, open-labeled trial, and then randomized to Group A (n = 10, treated with insulin Aspart) or Group B (n = 11, treated with Novolin R). Insulin Aspart and Novolin R were administered by CSII. Capillary glucose concentrations were measured at 8 time points, pre-prandial and postprandial, bedtime (10 pm), midnight (2 am) every day during the treatment.

RESULTSThe average capillary glucose profiles for the day were much better controlled in Group A than in Group B (P < 0.01). The blood glucose levels were particularly better controlled in Group A than in Group B at pre-breakfast ((6.72 +/- 1.24) mmol/L vs (7.84 +/- 1.58) mmol/L, P = 0.014), post-breakfast ((8.96 +/- 2.41) mmol/L vs (11.70 +/- 3.11) mmol/L, P = 0.0028), post-supper ((8.15 +/- 2.10) mmol/L vs (10.07 +/- 2.36) mmol/L, P = 0.008), bed time ((7.73 +/- 1.72) mmol/L vs (9.39 +/- 2.05) mmol/L, P = 0.007) and midnight ((6.32 +/- 1.16) mmol/L vs (7.48 +/- 1.36) mmol/L, P = 0.0049). There was no significant difference in the frequency of hypoglycemic episodes between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONInsulin Aspart results in better control of blood glucose levels than regular human insulin (Novolin R) in diabetic patients during delivery by CSII.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Cross-Over Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; drug therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Insulin Aspart ; Insulin Infusion Systems ; Male ; Middle Aged