Chapter 33

New Technologies for Insulin Administration

Hannah Forde

Hannah Forde

Leicester Diabetes Centre, Leicester, UK

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Pratik Choudhary

Pratik Choudhary

Leicester Diabetes Centre, Leicester, UK

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First published: 12 January 2024

Summary

Insulin pen technology has significantly advanced since the first pen was launched by Novo Nordisk in 1985 and now ‘smart’ connected pens are available, which can record the timing and dose of insulin administration and communicate with blood glucose monitoring and continuous glucose monitoring systems. In this chapter, the authors discuss a range of new technologies for insulin delivery and review the available evidence investigating their use in clinical practice. Injection ports are a viable alternative to subcutaneous insulin injections. The main advantages of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion are the ability to vary basal rates and the ease of delivery of multiple and more frequent boluses. The evidence base for pumps is derived from both randomized controlled trials and rea-world evidence. The greatest risk of intensive insulin treatment is hypoglycaemia. Insulin pumps are manufactured with either steel or Teflon cannulas.

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