Disconnecting from Your Insulin Pump

These instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients with an insulin pump.

Important information:

Insulin pumps deliver insulin at a steady, continuous dose, called the basal rate. There are times when you will want or need to disconnect from your pump, such as:

• Exercise

• Sports

• Afternoon at the pool

• Day at the beach

• Medical procedure

When you disconnect, you must replace the missed hourly dose of basal insulin. Have a plan for an insulin injection or bolus dose before disconnecting.

• If using an automated insulin pump, you will need to suspend insulin delivery. Refer to your pump manufacturer's instructions for details on how to do this.

If you eat when disconnected, you also need to give insulin to cover for carbs.

Patient instructions for replacing missed basal and bolus doses:

• Check your blood sugar before disconnecting from the pump. If it is in your target range, give a bolus dose that equals the missed basal for 1 to 2 hours of disconnect time. For example, if the basal rate is 0.25 units per hour, deliver a bolus of 0.25 or 0.5 unit for the 1-2 hours of disconnect time.

• Check your blood sugar every 1 to 2 hours when disconnected from the pump.

• Talk to your healthcare provider about how much insulin to use if you are exercising. Giving the full basal dose may cause low blood sugar.

• If you are disconnecting for more than 24 hours use long-acting insulin replace basal insulin and use fast-acting insulin for boluses.

  • Get a prescription from your provider for basal insulin. Keep a vial or pen in the refrigerator.

  • Talk to your provider about your dose for basal insulin. The total daily basal amount is your dose of long-acting insulin.

  • Write down your insulin-to-carb ratios and basal rates or upload your pump into your computer in case pump memory is not working.

Reviewed on March 1, 2023, by Lisa Miller, CDE, RD, LDN, CPT