Combined continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and multiple subcutaneous injections in type I diabetic patients.

Seven insulin-dependent diabetic patients (aged 16-34 yr) were treated for 10 mo with a combination of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) during the night and premeal boluses of insulin during the day. The technology and strategy of the system are discussed. Three of these patients had been on CSII for 1 yr before the start of this study. Mean fasting (126 +/- 44 mg/dl), mean preprandial blood glucose (131 +/- 54 mg/dl), and mean postprandial blood glucose (216 +/- 73 mg/dl) before starting this treatment fell to 86 +/- 12 mg/dl, 83 +/- 19 mg/dl, and 132 +/- 17 mg/dl, respectively, after 1 mo of treatment. Glycosylated hemoglobin (10.8 +/- 2.9% before the study) reached normal values (7.8 +/- 0.6%) after 2 mo of treatment. Improvement of glycemic control may be achieved with this form of insulin administration, which is of immediate practical application, until an ideal system of insulin delivery becomes available. This technique provides the conditions for testing the hypothesis that near normalization of glycemic control prevents or minimizes the degenerative complications associated with diabetes mellitus.