insulin pump

insulin pump

n.

A portable device for people with diabetes that injects insulin at programmed intervals in order to regulate blood sugar levels.

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insulin pump

Etymology: L, insula, island; ME, pumpe

a portable battery-powered instrument that delivers a measured amount of insulin through the abdominal wall. It can be programmed to deliver varied doses of insulin according to the body's needs at the time.

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insulin

a double-chain peptide hormone formed from proinsulin in the beta cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Insulin promotes the storage of glucose and the uptake of amino acids, increases protein and lipid synthesis, and inhibits lipolysis and gluconeogenesis.

The secretion of endogenous insulin is a response of the beta cells to a stimulus. The primary stimulus is glucose; others are amino acids, particularly leucine, and the 'gut hormones', such as secretin, pancreozymin and gastrin. These chemicals play an important role in maintaining normal blood glucose levels by triggering the release of insulin after ingestion of a meal.

Commercially prepared insulin is available in various types, which differ in the speed with which they act and in the duration of their effectiveness. There are three main groups: rapid acting (regular or semilente), intermediate acting (isophane suspension or NPH, zinc suspension or lente), and long acting (protamine zinc suspension or PZI, or ultralente). Mixtures are also marketed.

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insulin deficiency

diabetes mellitus.

insulin-dextrose therapy

a combination used in emergencies to lower blood potassium levels in acute hypoadrenocorticism.

insulin:glucagon ratio

ratio of insulin to glucagon; thought to determine the predominance of the action of one hormone over the other.

insulin:glucose ratio

a comparison of simultaneously obtained blood levels of immunoreactive insulin and plasma glucose. An increased ratio suggests an insulin-secreting tumor of the pancreas. A modification is the amended insulin:glucose ratio, based on the calculation:

$$\vskip13.5pt{\rm {serum\ insulin (\rmmu U/ml)\times100} \over {\rm plasma \ glucose (mg/dl) - 30}$$

immunoreactive insulin

radioimmunoassay methods are used in determining blood levels of insulin. Increased levels are found with hypoglycemia caused by functional islet cell tumors.

insulin pump

a device consisting of a syringe filled with a predetermined amount of short-acting insulin, a plastic cannula and a needle, and a pump that periodically delivers the desired amount of insulin. Sometimes used in humans, but of limited application in animals.

insulin sensitivity test, insulin response test

used to differentiate diabetes mellitus from pituitary and adrenal diabetes. A test dose of exogenous insulin will produce a rapid and marked decrease in blood glucose if the pancreas is not secreting sufficient insulin. A much less dramatic response is produced if hyperglycemia is due to excessive secretion of either pituitary or adrenocortical hormones rather than insufficient insulin production.

insulin syringe

disposable syringe with a capacity of 1 ml or less and a fine gauge needle (27-29G) attached, and graduation markings corresponding to insulin units in standard preparations. Needles may also be treated to minimize pain on injection.

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insulin pump

Insulin infusion device Endocrinology A device used for timed insulin delivery in DM Basic components Insulin reservoir, a pump, a power source, electronic controls, a glucose sensor; IPs are either portable or implantable. Cf Biohybrid artificial pancreas, Islet cell transplantation.