When you are ill, your body does not use insulin as well as it normally does. This means you may need more insulin. When you are unwell, your body also releases stress hormones, which can make your glucose levels go up.

When you use an insulin pump, high glucose levels need to be managed in a different way. Your glucose levels can rise for a number of reasons, such as:

• being ill
• missing insulin
• stress or feeling anxious

If you use an insulin pump, also check the following:

• Have you eaten foods with carbohydrate and forgotten to give a bolus?
• Has your infusion set been in place for more than 2–3 days?
• Is the infusion site sore, painful, or red?
• Is there air in the tubing?
• Is the cartridge empty, or is your pump paused or switched off?

If your glucose levels are 14 mmols/L (in pregnancy 10mmol/L) or above you should do the following: –

• Check your cannula site to ensure that it is ok
• Check for ketones in your blood
• Follow flow chart below: