Insulin Pump Therapy in the Very Low Birth Weight Infant

Abstract

Ten critically ill, very low birth weight infants less than 30 weeks' gestation were treated with exogenous insulin administered through a continuous insulin infusion pump (Betatron II, Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc). Infants were hyperglycemic to dextrose infusions greater than 6 mg/kg/min. The blood glucose concentration became normal in all infants within two to four hours, with varying requirements for continued insulin treatment. Tolerance to intravenous dextrose increased from a mean of 7.4 mg/kg/min to 11.2 mg/kg/min with aglycosuria. Energy intake increased from 49.5 calories/kg/d prior to insulin pump therapy to 70.4 calories/kg/d afterward (P < .01) with weight gain changed from –23 g/d to +13 g/d (P < .01). One unexpected observation was the apparent normalization of blood glucose homeostasis on higher dextrose doses among some infants after only one three- to six-hour treatment with insulin. The continuous insulin infusion pump is a flexible tool that allows insulin infusion rates to be changed as dictated by blood glucose values without altering other parenteral infusions.