Occlusion alarm

[m1dnc]

In the first three years of my pump, I had one occlusion alarm. In the last three weeks, I've had three. Do you think there is anything funny going on, or have I just been lucky for those first years?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

In the first three years of my pump, I had one occlusion alarm. In the last three weeks, I've had three. Do you think there is anything funny going on, or have I just been lucky for those first years?

You need to ring your pump company and express your concerns. It could be a faulty alarm sensor.

 

[Annette]

Or it could be a build up of scar tissue. Have you tried using a different bit of your body for the cannulas, such as lower back, thighs or upper arm instead of stomach? Just for a while, to give your usual sites a rest?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I only had occlusion alarms when using 90-degree sites that then hit muscle and kinked once the introducer needle had been withdrawn. Since moving to angled sets I've not had any.

I agree with Sue - worth calling your pump helpline. Have you run a pump selftest?

 

[m1dnc]

Thanks for your ideas. I'll give Roche a call. The only problem is that I'm away at the moment and not back until May. I do have a back-up pump for emergencies but I'd rather not resort to that if I can avoid it.

I'll try varying the cannula sites as well. I must admit that I've always used stomach sites, although it does take me at least a month to go from one side to the other

 

[heasandford]

a month! How do you get away with that - I feel like a circle my belly button like a racing circuit!

I found before I had the pump that the insulin absorption speed was much faster from my stomach, so watch that if you use a different site

 

[Redkite]

Try a cannula from a different box just in case you've got a dodgy batch.

 

[m1dnc]

Try a cannula from a different box just in case you've got a dodgy batch.

That's a good point Redkite.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

a month! How do you get away with that - I feel like a circle my belly button like a racing circuit!

I found before I had the pump that the insulin absorption speed was much faster from my stomach, so watch that if you use a different site

The way I get a month at least from each side is to start just below the ribs and work across each side then got to the next row down.

 

[heasandford]

The way I get a month at least from each side is to start just below the ribs and work across each side then got to the next row down.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this

How many do you manage to fit from top to bottom, or middle to side? The most I seem to get is 3 - maybe I get longer than I think?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this

How many do you manage to fit from top to bottom, or middle to side? The most I seem to get is 3 - maybe I get longer than I think?

4 on the 1st row then 5 until I run out of space then start on the other side 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this

How many do you manage to fit from top to bottom, or middle to side? The most I seem to get is 3 - maybe I get longer than I think?

I tend to get between 4 or 5 depending on how accurately I space them. I start just above the hip bone at the front then work round the side and towards the back, but try to stay an inch or two away from the spine where that and of muscle comes down.

Then I come back round to the front, above the hip bone, but an inch or two further up and work around again. Then I get another 'row' in close up under ribs.

I can get three rows of 4 or 5 so somewhere between 12 and 15 sites x 2.5 days = approx 33 days before I switch to the other side.

I'm still avoiding abdomen after years of lazy over-use on MDI 🙂

 

[m1dnc]

I've just had a very helpful conversation with the Roche care line.

They have given me a check-list of steps to take to track down where the problem may be:

1. disconnect the tubing from the cannula and then go into the pump priming routine. If insulin comes out of the end of the tubing, it shows that there is problem with the cannula site and not with the pump. Change the cannula and check the end of the old cannula to see if it is kinked or otherwise damaged.

2. if no flow on priming, the first suspect is the tubing - change that.

3. if still no flow, the next suspect is the cartridge - change that.

4. if still getting the alarm - then that indicates a pump problem.

Apparently the occlusion alarm is triggered when the pump detects a change in pressure - upwards or downwards - so in extremes of weather big temperature fluctuations can cause air bubbles to form in the tubing or cartridge which will cause a pressure drop and then the alarm. In my case, I am presently in the tropics and the alarms could have arisen from going from an air conditioned environment to ambient. The same could happen in cold winter conditions. So check for bubbles as well.

It all makes sense to me, so no need to panic!

 

[Annette]

Another thing to try (maybe as a first step!) is to try and 'massage' the cannula - put a little pressure on the top of it with your fingers and move in a circular fashion - this has the effect (I think) of moving the cannula end inside your body, so that if it is a problem with a minor blockage at the end of the cannula, for example, it will clear it. Then turn the pump back on and wait.
I always try this first and it usually works - if it isn't that, it will alarm again pretty quickly.