Fighting the Unseen: Life With Diabetes

For many diabetics, insulin pumps are somewhat of a miracle. They allow better blood sugar control and greater personal freedom. Diabetics can tailor the continuous flow of insulin into their body based on their own unique blood sugar trends. However, the pumps can also cause death in some rare instances.

Steven Krueger died at the age of 27 due to a malfunctioning insulin pump, according to his parents, who wrote a letter to the editor in Tuesday’s Windsor Star. While the pump (the Medtronic Minimed Paradigm infusion pump, model MMT-511) allowed Krueger greater freedom to accomplish many things, such as obtaining a recreational pilot’s license and a scuba diving certificate, his family was not aware of the potential dangers of the device.

Krueger’s pump malfunctioned during the night three years ago, delivering a lethal dose of insulin. The family says in its letter that the malfunction was confirmed by the coroner’s office. They also claim that at least three other similar deaths were reported in association with this pump.

The pump is a machine and machines can malfunction, they note. However, they suggest that manufacturers design the machine to fail in a “safe mode” rather than a “lethal mode.”

Source: http://diabetesnewshound.com/type1/death-by-insulin-pump/