FAQs

<p>When going on holiday, you should always take extra supplies to make sure that you are covered for anything that might happen during your trip.<br><br>Remember to take the following with you when you go away:<br><br>• Plenty of cannula and infusion sets<br>• Spare batteries<br>• Insulin and pump cartridges<br>• Test strips and lancets<br>• Emergency contact details<br>• Fast acting carbohydrate to treat hypos<br>• Travel letter from hospital / diabetes team<br>• Details of how to manage illness / pump failure or loss<br>• Back up insulin pens, cartridges and needles</p>

<p>Your insulin pump allows you to quickly and precisely adjust your insulin levels before, during and after exercise, to carefully match your individual needs.<br><br>All Accu-Chek insulin pumps are suitable to use during most types of exercise, however we recommend that you remove the insulin pump before taking part in any contact sports (e.g. rugby or martial arts) in order to prevent damage to the device or harm to yourself.</p>

<p>Many theme park rides, such as rollercoasters, are operated by high powered magnetic equipment, which have the potential to affect your insulin pump. Please check with the Theme Park Occupational Health and Safety officer about the magnetic equipment they use and what distance in meters / feet the field surrounds them. When within these fields do not wear or operate your insulin pump.<br><br>Please disconnect from your insulin pump and leave it in a safe place until you are no longer within the range of these magnets. If there is nowhere safe for you to leave your insulin pump, you should take it with you, however you will need to put it in STOP mode and disconnect it from your body before entering the field of exposure. Leave your insulin pump in STOP mode until you are outside the magnetic field. When it is safe to do so, please reconnect and START your insulin pump. Please remember to check your blood glucose levels before and after entering the field of exposure.<br><br>Always carry backup supplies – including hyper / hypo treatments and a backup insulin pen with you. If you are disconnected from your insulin pump for longer than 30 – 60 minutes you may need to reconnect to your insulin pump and give a correction dose (if safe to do so) or give a correction dose with your back up insulin delivery mechanism if you are still within the exposure range. You should follow your healthcare professional’s instructions to replace missed insulin or to correct a hypo.</p>

<p>No. Due to the high temperatures in saunas and steam rooms we recommend that you disconnect your pump and also remove your infusion set before entering. High temperatures can affect the insulin within your pump and also potentially cause damage to the pump itself.<br><br>Please consult with your healthcare professional to determine what precautions you should take prior to entering a sauna or steam room.</p>

<p>The Accu-Chek Combo has an IPX8 rating. This means that it is protected from brief immersion in water. As small hairline cracks in the housing of the device, or adapters and battery caps not being tightened enough, could cause water to get into the device and cause damage, we recommend that you disconnect your insulin pump and leave it in a safe place before swimming, showering or bathing. This should only be done following advice from your healthcare professional, and you should test and correct as necessary at least every hour.</p>

<p>Some types of medical examinations, such as MRIs, CT scans and X-Rays, may interfere with the operation of your insulin pump. As such, you should disconnect the insulin pump from the body and leave it in a safe place outside of the treatment room.<br><br>If you use a steel infusion set, you may also be required to remove the infusion set for some procedures. Please consult with a healthcare professional prior to the procedure.</p>

<p>Bubbles naturally occur in all liquids, including insulin, when they undergo a fairly rapid temperature change, i.e. warm to cool.<br><br>To help to prevent bubbles, remove insulin from the fridge at least an hour before use. If you are self-filling cartridges, make sure to fill the cartridge with room-temperature insulin and draw it from the vial slowly and steadily.<br><br>You should regularly check your cartridge and tubing for bubbles and prime out any that you find. Always remember to disconnect from your insulin pump before priming.</p>

<p>Because Accu-Chek insulin pumps can be disconnected at the infusion site you can remove the pump temporarily (for up to an hour) to bathe, go swimming or take part in contact sports.<br><br>Always remember to check your blood glucose and correct as needed before disconnecting your insulin pump and again when you reconnect. If you are intending to be disconnected from your pump for longer than an hour, you should check your blood glucose regularly throughout the time you are disconnected, reconnecting and correcting as necessary.<br><br>You should discuss your personal requirements for disconnecting from your insulin pump with your healthcare professional before going ahead.</p>

<p>Early occlusion detection is an important factor for safe and effective insulin pump therapy.<br><br>An occlusion is an unexpected event where the flow of insulin from a pump into the subcutaneous tissue is blocked.<br><br>The patient is typically not aware that an occlusion has occurred.<br><br>Due to missed insulin, a malfunction can often result in elevated bG levels, which if undetected can lead to hyperglycemia or Ketosis with the risk for the development of life threatening Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA).¹<br><br>With its faster occlusion detection, the Accu-Chek Combo system may help to reduce the severity of hyperglycemia and minimizes the risk of ketoacidosis resulting from occlusions.</p>

<p>The Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter uses Accu-Chek Performa test strips.</p>

<p>We recommend the use of Lithium batteries where possible. The Accu-Chek Spirit Combo insulin pump uses 1 AA battery (LR6 1.5 V AA alkaline, FR6 1.5 V AA lithium or 1.2 V rechargeable NiMH HR6 AA). You must select the correct battery type in the insulin pump setup when you replace your battery.<br><br>Do NOT use carbon-zinc, nickel-cadmium (NiCd) or super heavy duty batteries.</p>