Medtronic Insulin Pump Quick-Set Problems

[JJL570]

I have been on the Medtronics Pump 715 since April 2006 and had good control until August 2007.  I began to have problems with the quicksets canul bending inside of the penetration and could not identify that the problem was occuring until blood sugar began to rise. After about 3 events of this problem and one trip to the ER the doctor reccomended that I try 6mm canuls since I had lost weight and I contacted Medtronics.  Testing of the 6mm went well and I ordered 6mm replacements. In the first box of 6mm canuls I received I had 3 canuls bend and several situations where I nearly had to go to the ER.  That is when I checked the internet and found that an identical problem occured in 2004 and the FDA had a recall.  Is anyone else having this problem?  I am being retrained by a Medtronics rep this week but I suspect it is a material problem.  Even if you are not having problems please respond to see if this an isolated incidence.

Thank you for your responses in advance.

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

I personally am not a pump user, but hopefully some folks who are will respond. There are good things and bad about both pumps and the older methods of injecting insulin via shots. One of the down sides to pumps is that if the occasional set bends, the insulin can't flow easily and you are absolutely correct that the only way you can know is that blood sugar levels go up and stay up. So whenever glucose levels rise for no apparent reason, checking the set is the first suggestion that most pump users offer. The size does need to correspond to body size, even as needle sizes are different for heavy vs. thinner people. Hopefully some other pump users will respond here.

[SPURSFAN]

ARE YOU USING THE QUICK INSERT DEVICE OR INSERTING BY HAND?

[lisa874]

I am a pump user and have dealt with this challenge.  I use additional adhesive called IV3000.  You can order these from Minimed when you order other pump supplies.  I have found that the waist band of my pants and sleeping on the side of the pump site tugs on the cannula and pulls it out without compleely coming off the body.  These adhesive pads are waterproof and I place 3 or 4 of them encircling the normal tape and it holds it in place better.  

[sweetneez22]

I have never used the needle cannulas. I don't know if you're using one, but an auto-inserter device is best for inserting the cannulas into the skin. They provide clean entry.

I wouldn't doubt that there may also be a problem with the quick sets you're using.

I'm having problems with medtronic quick set reservoirs for the paradigm insulin. They all seem to be stripped when I open the package.

I received authorization to return 5 to medtronic and they sent me 5 replacements. But one of the replacement reservoirs is also stripped.

I don't understand why they don't just recall all of a control number of quick sets that have been returned to them as defective. I feel like I can't depend on the pump supplies I have on hand to work.

There is so much that goes into managing your diabetes without these problems. We shouldn't have to play Russian Roulette each time we refill our insulin pumps.

[nickipos]

I suspect I might have been having problems with my Quick Set INfusion sets as well.  However, they look fine, I just get NO DELIVERY alarms. I got a replacement pump and the same thing keeps happeneing...very costrky as I am going through boxes of infusion sets....

[lollyp68]

I am having similar problems and it is driving me crazy!  Since January I have had numerous incidents of "blockages" (this is my term, my pump is seldomly reporting any problem) once ending up in the ER with DKA.  Since yesterday evening, I have changed my pump site 4 times.  I finally came down to normal last night by midnight but woke up at 470 and have moved my pump site again.  When I removed my most recent one, the canula was bent at a 90 degree angle but there have also been times when this has happened and the canual appeared fine or only slightly bent.  What do we do now?  I contacted my supply company in March to ask if anyone else had reported similar problems and they said no.  

[Lulu383]

My son got his Medtronic pump in Jan 07 and it doesn't have any of those problems. Every once in a while a bent cannula but that's it.

[Michelle44]

My son has been using a medtronic paradigm pump for 4 years.  He has always used the silhouette infusion set and we have never had canula problems.  But just last week we had a strange problem for the very 1st time.  He had unexplained highs all weekend long, He changed his site 3 times and we were doing injections with syringes.  There were no pump warnings stating "no delivery" or any other obvious problem..  He then needed a new resevoir filled and it was then that we realized that the tubing was split just at the end where it twists on to the resevoir.  I am checking every tube from here on in to make sure we aren't using other deffective ones.  Pumpers, check your tubes!!!

[rcg6681]

This scares me - I'm currently on a Deltec Cozmo pump and never have problems with the infusion sets or tubing.  With even the slightest bend in the tube, I get "blockage detected" right away and know to fix it.  However, the actual pump has malfunctioned on me THREE times.  That's right, I am now on my 3rd replacement/4th pump from them.  I am therefore researching the Medtronic Minimed at this time and was excited to learn my insurance will allow and pay for me to make the switch.  

Question - do Medtronic pumps let you know when there is a blockage?  It sounds like it does, but it perhaps isn't as sensitive as it should be.  I'm serious when I say, if the tube or canula is bent in the SLIGHTEST way, the Deltec Cozmo alerts you - that is what I love about it.