The role of insulin pumps in the management of diabetes.

Insulin pumps have been available since the 1980s but despite initial enthusiasm there were problems with pump failure that limited their use. When a pump fails to deliver insulin, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (elevated levels of ketones that occur in response to an imbalance in fat metabolism) can occur. This is potentially fatal for people with type 1 diabetes. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT Research Group, 1993) showed that improved diabetes control reduces diabetic complications.