Tandem Pump Alarm

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anniehi

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Hi,
I have been on a Tandem Pump with IQ Control for nearly two years. Today I had an alarm saying ‘FILL TUBING ALERT’. I am on the Tru Steel cannula so I change my cartridge and tubing every 2 Days. I changed it all yesterday at midday and all went smoothly and within 3 minutes. Why should I get a ‘FILL TUBING ALARM today, twenty-four hours later. This worried me so after I had changed all the tubing etc. again I rang Tandem Support, they could give me no answers but assured me the pump was safe and ok to use, and if It happened again to give them a ring whilst it is happening and that way they can see what it is. I just wondered if any other Tandem Pump user had had this happen at all.
Thanks in advance.
 
That is an odd one @anniehi

Did you check the pump history to see whether all steps had happened during the set change?

The only thing I can think is that the pump may have been left with the touch screen unlocked (eg after setting activity mode, or waking it for whatever reason) and then the screen was touched to get through the menus to the fill tubing screen, which would then alarm after a short pause. I think It would only need 2-3 presses of fabric etc brushing against the screen?
 
Hi Mike,
Thanks for replying so quickly. Yes, all the steps had been recorded properly on the set change and the pump was working normally for twenty-four hours after until this alarm came out of the blue. I usually turn the pump off after bolusing etc., I suppose I could have forgotten. I will have to monitor it and see how it goes. By the way have you found the magic touch to get the needle into the cartridge and fill every time? It‘s a brilliant pump but I wish it wasn’t such a hit and miss with the filling process. Or is it just me??

Kind regards
Annie
 
Yes there’s a bit of a knack to that eh!?

I have a sort of ‘cluh-clunk’ feeling / depth that I look out for, and keep trying the syringe in slightly different spots until I get that.

It’s second nature now and I don’t really think about it, but if the needle didn’t go in quite far enough it felt like there was resistance to pushing the plunger.
 
Yes, I know when I have got the needle in the right spot and that clunky feeling and then the insulin will push down the syringe quite easily, but I seem to only do this in about one in three cases. Sometimes I end up discarding the cartridge. Do you actually take the needle out and try again and again? It’s so difficult when you can’t see what you are aiming for. I would love to see a cross section of a cartridge to see what the set up is but cant find anything about it on the internet.
Thanks
Annie
 
My daughter has had that alert, she says it means there is air in the tube, perhaps because it has come loose/untwisted a bit where it connects to the pump. Just prime the tube and it should be OK. Perhaps you accidentally caught the tube on something and it disturbed it slightly?
 
anniehi said:
Do you actually take the needle out and try again and again?
Click to expand...

Yep! I withdraw the needle if it doesnt feel right and have another go. Never experienced any problems with my method. I think the little white dot is sort of ‘self sealing’ like the bung at the top of an insulin vial?
 
anniehi said:
By the way have you found the magic touch to get the needle into the cartridge and fill every time? It‘s a brilliant pump but I wish it wasn’t such a hit and miss with the filling process. Or is it just me??
Click to expand...

I only realised a few days back that the needle can go all the way in to the reservoir! I’ve used TSlim since June and didn’t know that was what I was aiming for. It took me by surprise when the syringe needle went all the way in.

Shows how tricky it is to find the right spot on the reservoir, nearly 6 months in & I've managed it twice now!
 
One of the several reasons I discarded the Tslim that I could have had last pump change. I loathe filling normal pump cartridges, I'm no good at it, and always have hated it - even though I could do it OK years ago; I can't now.
 
When I started the T:slim, the Tandem trainer said I don't need to find that exact magic spot with the syringe.

If I do find the spot, that's fine, but it's not necessary.

If there's a bit of resistance, that's fine and what will usually happen.

If the insulin won't go from the syringe to the reservoir at all, then pull the syringe out and try again.

A successful fill is one where the insulin goes in to the reservoir, not one where I hit the bullseye.
 
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