Tubeless insulin pump therapy tied to good glycemic control and low frequency of DKA in Diabetes

The results of the study are as follows:

• Patients using tubeless insulin pump therapy had a median age of 13.7 years, diabetes duration 3.7 years, and HbA1c 7.5%.
• In patients with 3 years of follow-up data (n = 1311), the percentage with ≥1 episode of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and severe hypoglycemia (SH) (Level 3, requiring assistance), and severe hypoglycemia (SH) induced coma event with prior treatment was 6.3%, 5.5%, and 1.7%, respectively.
• After 3 years of tubeless insulin pump therapy, the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and severe hypoglycemia (SH) (Level 3), and severe hypoglycemia (SH) induced coma decreased to 2.2%, 4.1%, and 0.5%, respectively.
• Both diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and severe hypoglycemia (SH) remained significantly lower compared with MDI after adjustment in multiple regression analysis.
• High treatment retention rates (>90%) were observed.

Thus, the researchers concluded that real-world registry data document that tubeless insulin pump therapy is associated with good glycemic control and a low frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and severe hypoglycemia (SH) in an age group prone to acute complications.

Reference:

Declining Frequency of Acute Complications Associated with Tubeless Insulin Pump Use: Data from 2,911 Patients in the German/Austrian Diabetes Patienten Verlaufsdokumentation Registry

https://doi.org/10.1089/dia.2020.0675