Air bubbles?

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MrDaibetes

MrDaibetes

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So I'm a bit confused about what is going on. I have had a replacement pump because of this issue.

I use a medtronic 670g pump and recently been getting air bubbles. I flick them all out of the reservoir and a day later they seem to appear in the atubing. I know champaign size ones are not a concern but it's the bigger ones that seem to be the issue. Anyone have any idea why this could be happening?
 
I don’t have a Medtronic pump but my first thought is have you checked all the connections are tight eg the tubing screw areas, and do you make sure you ensure the whole reservoir is bubble-free including the neck of the reservoir?

Also, how do you wear your pump? Ie pump pointing up or down? On old pumps the luer connector part was advised to be pointing a certain way to ensure best flow of insulin.

I almost never get bubbles so you’re definitely right to question it.
 
Only ever ever had one occlusion alarm on a pump, my first one when Ooops- I'd forgotten to prime the tubing. User error! Tubing drizabone.

So 2 questions - what's your TDD and how many units of insulin does priming take ? - cos what I'd suggest is priming with the normal amount - and then continuing to prime with an extra your TDD. OK so you waste an extra Xu insulin BUT a small price for both you and the NHS to pay rather than have you carted off in an ambulance or something after the pump stops.
 
Inka said:
I don’t have a Medtronic pump but my first thought is have you checked all the connections are tight eg the tubing screw areas, and do you make sure you ensure the whole reservoir is bubble-free including the neck of the reservoir?

Also, how do you wear your pump? Ie pump pointing up or down? On old pumps the luer connector part was advised to be pointing a certain way to ensure best flow of insulin.

I almost never get bubbles so you’re definitely right to question it.
Click to expand...
I recently started to check connections I make sure to screw it all and make it all tight I also ensure the whole reservoir is bubble-free, and if not ill squirt the bubbles out of the reservoir before I insert it into the pump.

The pump is pointing up because the clip is pointing down. It's so frustrating.
trophywench said:
Only ever ever had one occlusion alarm on a pump, my first one when Ooops- I'd forgotten to prime the tubing. User error! Tubing drizabone.

So 2 questions - what's your TDD and how many units of insulin does priming take ? - cos what I'd suggest is priming with the normal amount - and then continuing to prime with an extra your TDD. OK so you waste an extra Xu insulin BUT a small price for both you and the NHS to pay rather than have you carted off in an ambulance or something after the pump stops.
Click to expand...
My TDD is 24.725 yesterday, and about 10 units to prime. it's a nightmare but I'm not sure why I am getting them randomly now and not before.
 
The pump is pointing up because the clip is pointing down. It's so frustrating.

I can’t remember which was the right way for my pump (it was years ago) and I haven’t been told anything like that with my current pump, but it might be worth checking just in case it matters.

Another thought - do you have the insulin at room temperature when you fill the reservoir @MrDaibetes ? Temperature can make a difference.
 
MrDaibetes said:
So I'm a bit confused about what is going on. I have had a replacement pump because of this issue.

I use a medtronic 670g pump and recently been getting air bubbles. I flick them all out of the reservoir and a day later they seem to appear in the atubing. I know champaign size ones are not a concern but it's the bigger ones that seem to be the issue. Anyone have any idea why this could be happening?
Click to expand...
The only reason to have bubbles is because air is getting in somewhere.
Medtronic have at last done some design changes to their syringe/cartridge which has improved things no end but it's still not 100%.
So double check your connections and make sure no air is getting in around the plunger seal. Also make sure your insulin is at room temp when filling the cartridge ( I'm probably teaching Grandma to suck eggs) but it might help a newbie pumper 🙂
 
I was surprised to read your email, as I have been amazed at the absence of bubbles since switching to Medtronic. As others have said it is the connections and the insulin temperature.
As a newbie to the Medtronic pumps I am not sure what else to suggest.

I always kept my Accu Chek pump with the connector down, which puts the bubbles well away from the from the connector. Can you stop using the clip and position the pump in that orientation to avoid the problem until this is sorted out.
 
At this time of the year, this could be related to the temperature of your insulin when you fill your reservoir. If it is cold, then any gas (air) that is dissolved in the insulin when you fill the reservoir will come out in the form of bubbles when it heats up when the pump is close to your body. Contrary to solids dissolving in a liquid, gases become less soluble as the temperature increases.

You could avoid this problem by, say, putting your insulin vial in your pocket for a few minutes before you fill your reservoir so that the insulin is close to the temperature it will be in the pump.
 
I was thinking it might be temperature changes too @m1dnc

As insulin (or any liquid) warms less gas can be dissolved in it, so some bubbles can be forced out of the liquid.
 
Meditronic reservoirs do leak air sometimes, bad fit of the plunger in the tube, ditch the reservoir and start again with a new one
 
Thanks all I think I figured out why I was getting so many air bubbles. I think changing my site with not much light meant that I was missing some smaller bubbles but not champaign size.

Hopefully, that has fixed this issue.
 
Hee hee! First pump - trying not to fall asleep on the pillion of one of our motorbikes coming home from France, changed cannula in loo on ferry - mad vibrations in my pocket halfway up the M40 which was brand new so not a lot of Services - Oh God Pete we'll have to stop, heaven knows what's happening ! Got into the light - Occlusion - whaaat? New tubing as well as cannula, hadn't primed it! No wonder I was a tad weary, BG meter, friendly as ever, greeted me Hi! :D
 
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