An Owner-Independent Investigation of Diabetes Alert Dog Performance.

Objective: To quantify Diabetes Alert Dog (DAD) performance by using owner-independent measures. Research Design and Methods: Eight owners of accredited DADs used a FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System (FGMS). Concurrent Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage was collected for between 5 and 14 days in each owner's home or workplace. The footage was blind-coded for dogs' alerting behaviors. The sensitivity, False Positive Rate and Positive Predictive Values (PPV) of dogs' alerts to out-of-range (OOR) episodes were calculated. Ratings for 11 attributes describing participant's lifestyle and compliance (taken from each dog's instructor) and the percentage of DAD alerts responded to by the owner as per training protocol (taken from CCTV footage) were assessed for association with dog performance. Results: Dogs alerted more often when their owners' glucose levels were outside vs. inside target range (hypoglycaemic 2.80-fold, p = 0.001; hyperglycaemic 2.29-fold, p = 0.005). Sensitivity to hypoglycaemic episodes ranged from 33.3 to 91.7%, the mean was 55.9%. Mean PPV for OOR episodes was 69.7%. Sensitivity and PPV were associated with aspects of the dog and owner's behavior, and the owner's adherence to training protocol. Conclusions: Owner-independent methods support that some dogs alert to hypo- and hyperglycaemic events accurately, but performance varies between dogs. We find that DAD performance is affected by traits and behaviors of both the dog and owner. Combined with existing research showing the perceived psychosocial value and reduced critical health care needs of DAD users, this study supports the value of a DAD as part of a diabetes care plan. It also highlights the importance of ongoing training and continued monitoring to ensure optimal performance.

Management of insulin pump therapy in children with type 1 diabetes.

Insulin pump therapy is a current treatment option for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Insulin pumps can provide a greater flexibility in insulin administration and meal planning, as compared with multiple insulin injections, and they may be particularly suitable for the paediatric age group. Many young people with diabetes have integrated insulin pumps into their daily practice. The use of insulin pumps can also be supplemented by the information retrieved from continuous glucose monitoring in the sensor-augmented pump therapy, which may improve glycaemic control. In this review, we describe the principles of pump therapy and summarise features of commercially available insulin pumps, with focus on practical management and the advantages and disadvantages of this technology.

Neonatal diabetes and insulin pump therapy.

The need for delivery of small doses of insulin, together with unpredictable feeding patterns and frequent changes in nutrient intake, makes the management of neonatal diabetes challenging. The availability of continuous glucose monitoring systems in combination with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pumps provides an opportunity to monitor glucose levels more closely and deliver insulin more safely. We report on a preterm infant with neonatal diabetes who had profound hypoglycaemia in response to bolus subcutaneous insulin therapy, but in whom we used the combination of continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump therapy to manage glucose control in the neonatal period, and who was discharged home on pump therapy.

Parental attitudes towards overnight closed-loop glucose control in children with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: This study examined parental attitudes towards overnight closed-loop (CL) glucose control in children and young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Twelve families recruited by the INsulin PUmp Therapy group (INPUT), a U.K. patient/carer-led support group for people with T1D, attended a focus meeting on CL. The concept of CL was explained, and clinical results and plans regarding the Artificial Pancreas Project at Cambridge were presented. Participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate parental feelings about T1D management and attitudes towards overnight CL insulin delivery. RESULTS: Nineteen parents (12 mothers and seven fathers) anonymously completed the questionnaire. Main concerns about diabetes were related to long-term complications (84%) and hypoglycemia (16%). Achieving good glucose control represented major challenge for carers (83%) with nighttime being the most difficult period to manage (56%), worrying most parents (71%) particularly because of fear of hypoglycemia (33%). The development of CL to manage diabetes was welcomed by all parents (100%) with 95% happy for their child to wear a continuous glucose monitor together with an insulin pump. All parents were ready to respond to additional alarms at night with 90% parents not worried about their child's overnight insulin delivery being controlled by a computer. CONCLUSIONS: Selected parents of children with T1D who are already insulin pump users express implied trust in the technology for overnight CL insulin delivery. Nighttime blood glucose control is the biggest challenge and concern for parents, and the development of a commercially available overnight CL system may be an important goal.