Infusion Site Troubleshooting Tips
If you experience a high blood glucose (BG) that does not come down with a correction bolus, follow the tips here. These tips will help you determine if an issue exists with your infusion site, infusion set, pump or your insulin. If you determine your infusion site, infusion set, pump and insulin are OK, continue to follow the protocol for treating a high BG and contact your healthcare provider.
| Things to Examine | Questions to Ask | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Infusion site problem? | Is it red, irritated, or painful? | If yes, rotate and change the infusion site, infusion set, reservoir and insulin |
| Infusion set or tubing issue? | Are there bubbles, larger than champagne bubbles, in the tubing? | If yes, use your at site disconnect and then purge air bubbles from the tubing using the fill cannula or prime feature. |
| Is there blood in the tubing? | If yes, change the infusion set, reservoir and insulin | |
| Reservoir and infusion set connection issue? | Are there leaks or breaks? | If yes, change infusion set, reservoir and insulin if unable to correct the problem by tightening |
| Is connection loose or easily moved? | ||
| Reservoir issue? | Is the reservoir empty? | If yes, change infusion set, reservoir and insulin |
| Are there excessive bubbles? | ||
Pump Settings issue?
|
Was last meal bolus missed? | If yes, give correction dose |
| Are basal rates set correctly? | If not, set basal rates correctly | |
| Are basal rate times correct? | If not, set basal rate times | |
| Is time (AM/PM) set correctly? | If not, set time correctly | |
| Denatured or “bad” insulin? | Has insulin vial expired? | If yes, replace with a new vial of insulin |
| Has insulin been exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight? | ||
| Insulin pump problem? | Is pump inoperable? | Call the 24-Hour HelpLine at +1.800.646.4633, option 1 |
| Not sure if pump has a problem? |
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