Diabetes Health - 25 June 20048 Tips For Making Infusion Sets Stick Better

Do infusion sets refuse to stick to your skin?

Do they come off when you sweat?

Does body hair affect how well they stay on?

Or does your tubing get caught on doorknobs or other objects and get
disconnected?

If you are familiar with these problems, the following tips for making
infusion sets stick better can help.

These tips are for everyone.

Start with clean skin. Try to change sets after you shower so the skin is
free of oils. Avoid soaps containing skin softeners, because they leave
behind oily residues that can make it harder for the infusion set to adhere
to the skin.
Apply a clear, unscented antiperspirant to the area where the set will be
placed to prevent any perspiration under the infusion set.
Swab the skin with a skin preparation product, such as Skin Prep or IV Prep,
to remove bacteria and make the skin sticky. Let the skin dry before
continuing.
Try using a dressing such as Tegaderm or IV 3000. Place the dressing
directly on the skin and insert the infusion set through the dressing. Or
you can apply the dressing on top of the infusion set to help hold it in
place. You might also use both methods for extra security. If you place the
dressing on top of the set, first cut a hole in it so the set can be
disconnected. To cut a hole in the dressing easily, fold the dressing into
quarters and then snip off the folded corner.
Sometimes body hair is a problem, because the infusion set tends to stick
better to the hair than to the skin. You can shave the area where the
infusion set will be placed. If shaving irritates the skin, simply trim the
hair down to stubble.
Using medical tape is also helpful. You can buy rolls of Hypafix or
Transpore from your local pharmacy. Place the tape around the edges of the
infusion set to help anchor it in place. You can also apply the tape later
should the infusion set tape start to peel back at the corners.
Michael Robinton, of Insulin-Pumpers.org, recommends using "gorilla snot" to
help hold infusion sets in place. Gorilla snot is an old military term for a
very sticky liquid. Use tincture of benzoin, Mastisol, or Skin Bond to help
hold sets in place. These liquid adhesives are applied to the skin before
the tape or infusion set, and work like glue to hold it on the skin. Let the
product dry until it is tacky to the touch before placing the tape or
infusion set. If it is still a runny liquid, the set will just slide right
off the skin. You may need to use an adhesive remover when it¡¯s time to
remove the infusion set.
If your tubing is always getting caught on objects and getting disconnected,
consider using a safety loop. This is a small section of tubing that is
taped to the skin beside the infusion set in a circle or loop. When you
catch the tubing on something, it allows an extra inch or two of tubing to
unroll before it yanks out the set.
For more discussions on topics like this one, visit www.insulin-pumpers.org
and join the insulin pumper e-mail forum.
-John Hughes

Now, What About That 'Goo?'
Now that your infusion set is sticking securely, you have another problem:
How do you get it off?

And how do you remove that "goo" from your skin?

Use a medical adhesive remover such as Detachol or Unisolve to remove the
set and the tape.
Fingernail polish remover or makeup remover can also be used.
Baby oil will work, but it's messy.
Alcohol wipes will often do the job but require more rubbing on the skin.
Citrus-based cleaning products such as Goo Gone will remove the sticky stuff
Leave it to time. After a number of showers, the residue will disappear on
its own.
An Infusion-Set Company by Any Other Name
Maersk Medical has a new identity.
The Danish company, which specializes in the development and production of
infusion sets for insulin pump treatment, is now known as Unomedical
Infusion Devices.
Since launching its first infusion sets in 1986, Unomedical has become the
world's leading supplier of infusion sets for insulin pump treatment.
Unomedical manufactures the Comfort, Silhouette and the Tender, which was
the first soft-cannula infusion set with an at-site disconnection feature.
They also produce the 90-degree Quick-Set.
To learn more about Unomedical, log on to www.infusion-set.com.
Source: Unomedical Press Release, December 2003
-D. Trecroci