5 Things to Look for in Insulin Sets
An insulin set helps connect the insulin pump delivery device to your body. A needle with a plastic tube is inserted into an intravenous line that is placed under the skin. The needle helps to puncture the skin and after that, it is removed and only the cannula is attached to the patient’s body.
Infusion sets are important for any pump therapy because constant insulin should be provided to diabetic patients. A crimped cannula blocks the continuous flow of the insulin to the patient’s body interrupting the process. Thus, you need to choose your infusion set wisely that best suits the patient’s body. Read further to know more about the things that you should keep in mind for insulin sets.
1) Needle Gauge:
One of the important parts of an infusion set is a needle gauge because it is used in different nursing procedures. Different sized needles have different functions. Say, if a patient needs to have his blood drawn then you require a large gauge. Thus, before starting an IV on a patient, you need to be prepared with the set of processes that needs to be performed so that the Board of Nursing can select the right gauge size.
There are different sizes of gauge possible:
16 Gauge:
It is used mainly in ICU or in surgery. It helps in many medical procedures like blood administration, and fluid administration.
18 Gauge:
It is used mainly in pushing fluids rapidly like in CT PE Protocols or for testing that requires a large IV size.
20 Gauge:
It is used on patients with small veins.
22 Gauge:
This small size is for patients who do not need an IV for a longer duration of time and are not in critical conditions.
24 Gauge:
Pediatricians use it usually as a last resort as an IV for the adult population.
2) Cannula Length:
The length of cannulas are important because they come in lengths from 6 to 17 millimeter, common ones are in the lower range. It is used for people with a low or average body mass index. It is used in insulin pumps and infusion set providers for diabetic patients.
Also, there are different types of cannulas that you must know before using them as each one has a different use.
IV Cannula:
Intravenous(IV) cannulas are placed inside a vein to provide access to the veins of the patient’s body. It helps for the sampling of the blood, fluids, medication, for chemotherapy, and other nutrients as well.
Nasal Cannula:
A nasal cannula is used as a supplement in oxygen therapy. It helps people with low oxygen levels. So there are types of cannulas that can control the flow to help patients. These are used for patients with respiratory failure, sleep apnea, or other heart and lung diseases.
3) Tubing Length:
Infusion set tubing comes in 3 different sizes. 23, 32, and 43 inches. The factor to choose the right tubing length depends on the height of a person, the location of the pump and it also depends on the patient’s daily activities, and other factors on which the positioning of the tube depends.
4) Insertion Device:
An insertion device is a disposable plastic push button that is inserted in the infusion giving set. Many people feel it is simpler and less intimidating than using their hands to do the same. It can be inserted with just one hand which makes it more useful.
5) Connector Type:
To prevent a possible leakage, you need a male-female plastic connector to help you with the same. It helps protect against accidental exposure to an introducer needle.
There are mainly 2 types of choices for an infusion set.
Angled:
A 30-degree angle can be used with different lengths of needles and tubes for an infusion giving set. Most of them are 30-degree inclined but with this, you have the option to set at your preferred angle that matches your lifestyle and is less prone to crimping when compared to straight sets.
Straight:
These infusion sets are inserted at a right angle that is 90-degrees. It is possible to attach it with different lengths of cannulas. It is less painful and easy to insert but then it truly depends on the lifestyle of the patient.
Conclusion:
There are different types of infusion sets that you need to take care of. You need to choose the best infusion giving set that best suits you. Also, you need to consider the type of cannulas needle and the length of the tube. These small things play an important role in pump therapy. If this process is stopped it can lead to high blood sugar levels and ketone formation which is more harmful to the patient’s body.
