Emergency Insulin Pump Kit

Are you prepared to handle an emergency or unexpected troubles with your insulin pump or diabetes? Do you have an emergency insulin pump kit? You really can't afford not to.

What if...

• ... your basal rates are accidentally deleted or changed? Do you have a copy?
• ... you can't find your pump after taking it off to swim or play hockey?
• ... you need your spouse to pick up pump supplies from the house?
• ... your blood glucose meter quits working?
• ... you have to leave town unexpectedly for a few days?
• ... you can't get your blood sugars down and can't stay awake?
• ... you forget how to program in basal rates and need to make a change. Do you know where your insulin pump user manual is?
• Or any number of unexpected things that just happen in life - will you be prepared?

Be prepared if you wear an insulin pump!

Create an emergency insulin pump kit! I'm impressed with how this kit has helped so many of my clients in so many situations! Just collect the necessary information and supplies listed below into a box, or small piece of luggage or drawer in your house. Tell a family member or friend where you keep it. Keep a note on top of the kit clearly stating "insulin pump emergency kit" and a reminder to take insulin from the fridge if this kit needs to travel with you or to you. You'll be surprised how often you'll need to run to this kit for one thing or another. Keeping it all in one spot saves you frustration and helps keep you safe on the insulin pump!

Your "Emergency Insulin Pump Kit" should have:

1. At least 2 infusion sets, 2 reservoirs (cartridges) for you insulin pump, 2 adhesives if used (eg. Tegaderm), because most of us at some point in time have forgot to order supplies in a timely fashion.
2. Extra blood glucose meter with fresh batteries (replace them periodically) and lancets. You should have 2 working meters at home. Once I took my kit for a talk in the mountains and both my meters stopped working and needed batteries. So yes, now I keep batteries in the kit.
3. Batteries for insulin pump (rotate them occasionally)
4. Small supply of test strips separate from your usual monthly supply. Remember this is in case you have to grab this kit and run off for a day. Or you expectantly go through your normal supply quickly because of sudden high blood sugars or low ones. Rotate this stash of strips with your monthly order so you don't have expired strips in the emergency kit.
5. Ketone strips for urine or blood (need a special meter for this). Check the expiry date. Also be sure these vials have not been opened more than 3-4 months or whatever is advised on the label. You can fight and fight high glucose readings for hours unless you know you have ketones and need more insulin with the very first correction dose. Verify with your health professional how to determine correction doses if ketones are present.
6. Syringes or insulin pen with pen needles
7. Insulin dose plans for pump failure: talk with your health care professional and have a written plan in place in your insulin pump emergency kit
8. Prevention of ketoacidosis guidelines or handout provided by your health care professional and specifics from your doctor about when you should call 911 or seek medical care. Also guidelines for managing sick days. Keep a list of symptoms of DKA.
9. Glucose, like Dex 4 or BD tabs.
10. Glucagon kit in case of severe hypoglycemia and your family needs to use on you or you need to use to prevent a serious low. Be sure instructions on how to use it are included. Also good to have your spouse or friend trained on how to use it. Discuss with your health care professional about how and when to use. Check with pharmacist about storage as it is usually stored at room temperature. Be sure to check periodically that it is not outdated. When you purchase the kit, check the expirey date and if outdating soon, request a different kit. I have had patients who received kits that outdated 2 months after purchasing. You will likely need a prescription to purchase this kit.
11. Your pump manual: you'd be surprised how you can forget to program things if you haven't done it for a while.
12. Copy of your recent basal rates, insulin to carb ratios and correction doses (senstivity factor). Be sure to update this paper record whenever you make a change to them in your pump. If for some reason your pump zeros your basal rates, you'll need to input them again.
13. Letter from your health care professional to present to emergency doctor or doctor while in hospital (or when traveling) to explain what the ER staff should do and NOT do and who to call. Our letter lists all the endocrinologists in the city that would be capable of handing a pump emergency call.
14. Your extra insulin pump parts or accessories that you rarely use but alas, may need one day and wonder where you put them.

15. Phone numbers for:

    - 24 hr pharmacy for insulin

    - The 1-800# for your pump

    - Your physician and diabetes team or endocrinologist on call

    - A friend/family member's cell or home number if you live alone, to inform them you're having a rough time with diabetes. Ask them to call or come over periodically.

    - Nearest emergency room (include a map)

    - Any other numbers of importance and anything else your health care provider would like to see added to the kit

Keep these on you:

• An extra infusion set
• Glucose or some other fast carb
• A syringe and small penfill vial of insulin, in your wallet or purse. Insulin loses potency after about a month at room temperature, so you'll need to replace the penfill vial every 30 days. Do not leave it in the car! It may freeze or get too hot from the sun.
• An emergency card for contact names
• Identification stating you have diabetes and wear an insulin pump
• If on Medtronic Pump carry their wallet card