Insulin Pump Therapy and Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Diabetic Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) Patients

Diabetic nephropathy now accounts for 20% to 40% of all patients entering end-stage renal failure (ESRF) programs. The quality of glycemic control is known to be an important determinant of the rate of progression of patients with diabetic continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Diabetic CAPD patients are usually treated with dialysis fluids utilizing glucose as the osmotic agent to provide ultrafiltration. Most of diabetic CAPD patients had HbA1c readings above 7% despite the recommendation to keep the reading below 7%.

The continuous blood glucose monitor (CGMS) has recently offered an opportunity to monitor blood glucose at 5-minute intervals for 72 continuous hours in diabetic patients. The CGMS patterns reveal blood glucose tracings well above the recommended standards of control in most of the diabetic CAPD patients.

Good glycemic control is often difficult to maintain in diabetic patients treated with CAPD because they are continuously exposed to high concentrations of glucose in peritoneal dialysate. However, recent studies have suggested that diabetic patients who use insulin pump has been shown to reduce glycated hemoglobin levels without an increased risk of hypoglycemia, as compared with a regimen of multiple daily insulin injections, but results in diabetic CAPD patients have not been reported.