How Hot Can an Infusion Set Get?
I am a fire fighter who uses a Disetronic insulin pump and Tender infusion set. I have frequently asked sales reps, Disetronic engineers in Minnesota and Sweden and lots of diabetes educators, at what temperature does an infusion set melt? I have never gotten a sufficient answer. The standard line is that insulin is not viable over 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Could you please find an answer to this question that nags me every time I am exposed to extreme heat? Mike Cavanagh Woodbridge, Connecticut According to officials at Disetronic Medical Systems, there is no available data on when the tubing will melt. However, Jodi Lavin-Tompkins, RN, CNP, CDE, director of clinical services at Disetronic Medical Systems, says she knows of several fire fighters on Disetronic pumps who do just fine, with no problems. “Your infusion set would be beneath all of your fire-fighting clothing, so anything that would get hot enough to melt the tubing would probably injure you first,” says Lavin-Tompkins, empha
