Insulin Pump Infusion Sets and Diving

[c0lleen]

Hi, I'm starting an insulin pump this month and am curious as to how I should go about diving after I start. I plan on disconnecting the pump and tubing and just diving with the infusion set on, just like disconnecting for running, sports etc.
Does anyone have experience diving with the infusion set still in? I'm guessing thats what you'd have to do to not change the set at least once a day. Did you have any problems with the set coming off b/c of your wet suit? or salt water? I'd like to hear from pump users how they handled this.
Thanks

 

[Ann Marie]

Hello and welcome to ScubaBoard!

My son has an Insulin Pump (Minimed). He tends to wear the infusion set on his hip. When he was younger (diabetes at 7 and started pump at 8), we would always use the adhesive covering that comes with the infusion set and then make a u-turn in the tubing and cover everything with a 2x3" Op-site or Tegaderm so that it wouldn't come off until we wanted to change it. By making a slight turn in the tubing, I felt that if the tubing was accidentally pulled it wouldn't put any undo pressure on the insertion site. I'm sure he still uses the extra occlusive covering as it is habit (he's now almost 21 y/o).

When he learned to dive 5 years ago, he didn't have any problems with the infusion set coming off. We always disconnected the pump from the infusion set. In the event that the sea water might have caused the adhesive covering to come loose, we always carried a couple of regular syringes. (We could withdraw insulin from the reservoir in the pump so we didn't carry a vial of insulin with us.)

I also carried some Cake-mate in my BC in the event that he might have a problem. But since he was disconnecting his pump, he wasn't getting additional insulin. We just had to account for when the last bolus of insulin would peak in action.

I don't have diabetes, but since I have first hand knowledge I thought I'd answer.

 

[c0lleen]

Ann Marie,
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if your son put any adhesive covering over the infusion set while diving to add a protective layer between the set and the wetsuit? I just want to make sure that when I pull my suit on and off (the set will most likely be on my stomach area) that I dont peel the set off as well. I'm starting the pump with saline solution tomorrow for practice tomorrow before I start pumping for real in a week or so. I'll try and jump in the pool to test stuff out.

 

[Ann Marie]

No he didn't do anything different that what he did on a day to day basis. His swim trunks covered the site of the infusion where the wetsuit might catch.

 

[616fun]

I regularly dive and wear an infusion set. While DMing I am in a wetsuit. For the one off class I've had no problems with the infusion set working itself loose. Repeated exposure over a long time will eventually loosen the tape, but I've never actually pulled one out because of diving. Heck, even on dive vacations (4 dives a day plus) I've not had the tape come loose.

For my 'fun' diving I most always use a drysuit so the water is a non issue. I've also dove with the pump in my drysuit underwear. Only once did I have an issue with the pump being onboard. I believe the cold dry interior of the suit made a good environment for static electricity and I blew the pump up. No matter, just had to reset the settings and I was good to go again.

If you have more specific questions feel free to PM me. I'll be glad to answer them as best I can.

P.S. - one other thing....
Until you get the hang of the pump I would forgo diving for a bit. The use of only short acting insulin takes some getting used to. Once you get the hang of it you'll never want a basal insulin again, but in the mean time it's better to be safe than sorry.