Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Characteristics in Type 1 Diabetes Children and Adolescents in Qatar

To describe continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) characteristics in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) children and adolescents using a standardized protocol in routine clinical settings in Qatar. A total of 138 T1DM patients (62 males; 76 females; mean age 9.8 +/- 3.4 years) with a mean diabetes duration of 2.4 +/- 1.9 years initiated CSII (MiniMed(A (R)) Veo(A (R))(TM) and MiniMed(A (R)) 640 G insulin pumps; Medtronic, Northridge, CA, USA) in 2016 and 2017. CSII characteristics and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were evaluated 1 year after treatment initiation. At 1 year after treatment initiation, the insulin dose had significantly increased (from 0.59 +/- 0.23 to 0.74 +/- 0.26 U/kg body weight per 24; P < 0.05), and the HbA1c level had significantly decreased (from 9.7 +/- 1.3 to 8.1 +/- 0.6%; P < 0.05). More than 92% of patients used the Bolus Wizard feature of the insulin pump at the following settings: insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio 19.2 +/- 9.3 g; insulin sensitivity factor 131 +/- 68 mg/dl; target range 91 +/- 9.3-135 +/- 14.2 mg/dl; active insulin time 3.8 +/- 0.8 h. Our results show that CSII may significantly improve glucose control in T1D children and adolescents who use a standardized protocol. A reduction of HbA1c by - 1.6% was achieved at 1 year after CSII initiation. These results need to be confirmed in a study with a longer duration.