Pumps at altitude

[SB2015]

Having a fantastic walking holiday in Dolomites. Beautiful walks on snowy tracks in glorious sunshine. BUT ...

... I did a six mile walk with steep inclines and had forgotten to set a TBR. I swiped on the route up and staid above 8 throughout. I checked when we reached the col at the top for lunch and was amazed to see that I was now 9.8. I had expected to be well in range, and that was when I realised I had forgotten the TBR.

So my question is has anyone else found that altitude effects the delivery of insulin from a pump. The temperature was also low (-18) but all equipment tucked snuggly away. We were only at 1600 metres?

Today we did a very easy river walk, and at lunch found I was 18! Changed cannula used pen for correction (but unsure whether this had become inactive after its trip up the mountain) Missed out on lunch. 1/2 hour later dropped to 16 but then back up to 21!!!
Taxi back to hotel. No ketones, and then when I took off layers of clothes I found that my tubing had become disconnected at pump. That was the only bit I hadn’t check. Happy that we have an explanation, and now happily dropping after another pen correction (so at least that one is working).

 

[HOBIE]

I went to Italy to Bardonnecchia. On a 3wk old BMW. Brakes failed on the way down & my mobile phone packed in. One minute at normal level then so many feet(high). Don't get them probs in this country. Let brakes cool & ok.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Glad you're having a good time. 🙂 I've had a search and it seems that altitude may affect insulin delivery from a pump with the likelihood being excess insulin delivery. The Medtronic is registered to work at 3-40 degrees C, 20-95% humidity and altitudes up to 3000m. That's not to say it won't work correctly outside those parameters and indeed in this particular study that looked at people on a trek over 5000m no one reported malfunctioning pumps of various makes and types.

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/dia.2016.0452

 

[HOBIE]

I have no idea what highest & how many feet but one minute we where at ground level & less than 45mins later in 6ft snow drifts in May. Bardoneccia is where the winter Olympics where held a few years ago. Electronics don't like pressure & temp differences 🙄

 

[SB2015]

Glad you're having a good time. 🙂 I've had a search and it seems that altitude may affect insulin delivery from a pump with the likelihood being excess insulin delivery. The Medtronic is registered to work at 3-40 degrees C, 20-95% humidity and altitudes up to 3000m. That's not to say it won't work correctly outside those parameters and indeed in this particular study that looked at people on a trek over 5000m no one reported malfunctioning pumps of various makes and types.

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/dia.2016.0452

Thanks for looking it up Matt. Just done a day of snowshoeing at high altitude and kept things at about 8 all day to be safe as I was part of a big group. No issues with pump as far as I can see. Tuesday was just a blip and yesterday my stupidity of not checking connection at pump end.

 

[mikeyB]

You may find your batteries die quicker at high altitude, but that’s more to do with temperature than altitude. That doesn’t really happen with Lithium ion batteries (until you get to -20C) so it depends which are used in the pump. A pump is just a pump, so it will work as long as there’s power.

 

[SB2015]

You may find your batteries die quicker at high altitude, but that’s more to do with temperature than altitude. That doesn’t really happen with Lithium ion batteries (until you get to -20C) so it depends which are used in the pump. A pump is just a pump, so it will work as long as there’s power.

Thanks Mike. I think my problems were operator error. I forgot to check the connection at the pump end, having checked everything else. So the wobbly day was followed by a very weird day, and when I had gone from 9 to 21 and had no idea why I returned to hotel where I found that I was disconnected and any corrections and basal insulin was simply going nowhere near my cannula!!! All sorted. Pump tucked away in the warm so no problem for batteries.

 

[HOBIE]

Mobile phones don't like altitude or dampness, differences in altitude. Batteries are fine until there is a drain on them. A short with power going some where else ?

 

[SB2015]

The end of an excellent week of walking in fabulous snow, and mainly glorious sunshine. Visits to deserted valleys with small refuges serving polenta with whatever was available, snowshoeing around a deserted basin at the top of a mountain. Then to cap it all just one hypo all week, partly I know due to some higher BGs as a result of unknown carbs, and operator error on the pump.
Lots learnt about managing at altitude, and a very enjoyable week. Now all we have to do is manage to fly into Bristol. But Robin has given me an update and all looks good for tomorrow.