[Diabetic ketoacidosis during insulin pump therapy]

During treatment of four type-1 diabetics (aged 20-46 years) by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) a leak developed in the system which caused severe ketoacidosis. The gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain) were misdiagnosed by both the patients and their doctors because there was only mild hyperglycaemia. These observations highlight the importance of carefully instructing and supervising patients at the beginning of CSII and point to the need of frequent urine testing by the patients, also for urinary keto bodies.