GLYCEMIC CONTROL VIA CONTINUOUS SUBCUTANEOUS INSULIN INFUSION (CSII) THERAPY IN TYPE 1 DIABETIC PATIENTS

Pump therapy (CSII) is offered as a safe and effective treatment for patients with type 1 Diabetes. We examined the efficacy and safety of continuous subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy for six months as a before-after clinical trial study among type 1 diabetic patients. This is the first survey of this experience in Iranian patients. We recruited, type 1 diabetic patients without chronic complications of diabetes (retinopathy, nephropathy and etc.) and followed them for six months as a before-after clinical study with use of the pump. The efficacy of this way was assessed with HbA1C and fasting blood sugar measurements. Safety was estimated by frequency of clinical hypoglycemia episodes. Our patients were 7 men and 2 women aged 15 - 39 years with past history of diabetes by ranging from 0.1 to 15 years. Mean level of HbA1C at the beginning of study and after six months follow-up were %8.6 and %7.1, respectively, with significant statistically difference between them (P= 0.02). During pump therapy the mean dose of insulin were decreased to 10 units with statistically significant difference to before investigation (P = 0.03). No case of hypoglycemia and weight loss was seen. One patient had 4 kg weight gain without any significant statistical effect. It seems CSII Therapy in Iranian patients with type 1 Diabetes mellitus was effective and safe. We can not conclude about possible side effects of pump based on this study.