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Case Reports: Learning from unexpected outcome (positive or negative)
Unintended insulin delivery using Omnipod DASH during a high-altitude flight
  1. Muneeb Shah1,2,
  2. Yasmin Hadian2,
  3. Maya Peltsverger3 and
  4. Jonathan Crane1,2
  1. 1Dermatology, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Buies Creek, North Carolina, USA
  2. 2Dermatology, Sampson Regional Medical Center, Clinton, North Carolina, USA
  3. 3Endocrinology, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Jonathan Crane; lcrane2384{at}msn.com

Abstract

Insulin pumps are an important tool in the management of type I diabetes mellitus. Omnipod DASH is a tubeless insulin pump that delivers insulin through customisable basal rate and bolus amounts. There is no data available to date on how this insulin pump delivery system is influenced by changes in atmospheric pressure during flight at high altitudes. We report a case of a 55-year-old woman who developed symptomatic hypoglycaemia while using this pump during flight in a non-pressurised cabin. This report demonstrates the risk of insulin pump therapy at high altitudes. Flight emergencies involving rapid depressurisation may lead to catastrophic hypoglycaemia. Caution should be exercised when using insulin pump therapy during flights and manual insulin delivery should be considered.

  • Medical consequences of conflict
  • Contraindications and precautions
  • Diabetes
  • Drugs: endocrine system

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-247138

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors MS participated in this case, helped review literature on this topic, and helped write and edit the final manuscript. YH helped review literature on the topic and helped write the final manuscript. MP participated in the case and helped write the final manuscript. JC participated in the case and helped write and edit the final manuscript. He is the corresponding author.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.