Medtronic has issued an “Urgent Medical Device Correction” about the accuracy of insulin pump delivery during changes in air pressure, such as plane takeoffs and landings.

The alert advises of the importance of monitoring glucose levels during dynamic atmospheric pressure conditions – such as flight takeoff and flight landing, as insulin delivery volume accuracy may be impacted.

Products covered by the alert include the MiniMed Paradigm, MiniMed 600 series (640G, 670G) and MiniMed 700 series (770G, 780G) insulin pumps.

However, insulin pump over- and under-delivery with atmospheric change is not unique to Medtronic’s products. Unintended insulin delivery can occur with expansion of air bubbles inside the reservoir when the air pressure decreases, as with flight takeoff, potentially leading to hypoglycaemia. This can occur even when the pump’s delivery is suspended or programmed to zero units per hour. And when air pressure increases, as with airplane landing, the air bubbles can be compressed and result in less insulin being delivered than intended, leading to hyperglycaemia.

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