Troubleshooting: A Guide For New Paradigm® 515/715 Insulin Pump Users

When you first start using a pump, you'll have questions, and you may encounter a few bumps in the road. This is normal when you're learning something new. In fact, you may require assistance from our 24-Hour Helpline staff, or your health care professional. But before you pick up the phone, please take a few moments to read this troubleshooting guide. It can help you answer many common questions yourself, without the wait.

• My pump displays an Alarm message
• How do I know that I've fixed the problem that caused the alarm?
• How do I know my pump is programmed correctly?
• My pump has a No Delivery alarm
• My blood glucose is 250 mg/dl or higher
• I have a Low Battery message
• Why is there a circle on my pump screen?
• How do I fill the reservoir and prime the pump?
• What do I do if I have to go off the pump?

My pump displays an Alarm message.

When the pump is beeping, it is trying to tell you something. First, look at the screen and read the message carefully (you may need to use the Down Arrow to scroll down to the end of the message). Follow any instructions the pump provides in the message. Then, clear the message by pressing ESC, then ACT. You will not need to call the Helpline unless the alarm repeats. Chapter 9, "Troubleshooting and Alarms," in the new Paradigm 515/715 User Guide offers a list of common alarm messages.

Important note: A few alarms may require you to reprogram your pump settings. Make sure you use your Save Settings feature and/or refer to your written record of your pump settings, which you can keep on your Quick Reference wallet card.

How do I know that I've fixed the problem that caused the alarm?

Check on the pump's status by using the ESC button to access the Status screen. At the Status Screen, you can review all the current pump settings, including battery level, reservoir volume and any special settings that you may have programmed.

How do I know my pump is programmed correctly?

The Status Screen displays the date, time, and all the pump's current delivery information.

If you want to verify that your basal rates are correctly programmed, go to the Basal Menu and select Basal Review. This will show you the start times and amounts for all the basal rates programmed in the pump. You can check this against the written record of your basal rate settings, which we encourage you to keep on your Quick Reference wallet card.

My pump has a No Delivery alarm.

When a No Delivery alarm occurs, some people conclude that the pump is broken. On the contrary, a No Delivery alarm means that the pump is working correctly, and it has detected that something is preventing insulin from being delivered.

There are several different reasons why No Delivery alarms can occur and learning how to avoid them is part of becoming familiar with your pump. The most common reasons are a clog or kink in the infusion line, or a problem at the site or an empty reservoir.

When you get a No Delivery alarm, first check your blood sugars, and take an injection if needed. Then, change your reservoir and set, and monitor your blood sugars closely.

If you've followed these steps and you suspect that something is wrong with the pump and/or infusion set, call the 24-hour Help Line.

My blood glucose is 250 mg/dl or higher.

ALWAYS TREAT YOUR DIABETES FIRST - You must take an injection of insulin with a standard syringe and change your infusion set whenever you have two blood glucose readings in a row above 250 mg/dl, even if you think your pump is working correctly. You SHOULD ALWAYS take an injection before investigating what is causing your high glucose levels.

I have a Low Battery message.

Always clear the Low Battery message from the display screen (by pressing ESC then ACT) before changing the battery. If you change the battery without clearing the alarm first, the pump may go into an error alarm that instructs you to call the 24-hour help line. This is easily avoided by clearing the alarm before changing the battery.

Change your battery as soon as you've cleared the message, using a brand-new, room temperature, AAA alkaline battery. Our product testing shows that Energizer® batteries work best because they allow the pump to reliably give you a Low Battery message before it is out of power.

In the interest of safety, anytime you open the battery compartment, you will need to put in a brand new battery. Therefore, do not open the battery compartment unless you are planning to change the battery.

* Paradigm 515/715 pumps yield "Failed Batt Test" with a bad battery.

Why is there a circle on my pump screen?

You can always at a glance see the pump's current Mode of Operation by looking at the top line of the display screen.

No circle with the time, battery and reservoir icons displayed indicates the pump is operating in the Normal mode. This means the pump is on and the pump is running.

An open circle indicates the pump is in the Special mode. This reminds that you have activated certain features you may need to be aware of, or the pump is in low battery or low reservoir mode. The pump is running as programmed.

A closed circle indicates the pump is in the Attention mode. This means the pump is NOT delivering any insulin and you must take action to make it start again.

How do I fill the reservoir and prime the pump?

The most important thing to remember about changing the reservoir is that safety comes first: ALWAYS disconnect from the pump before rewinding, and before removing or installing the pump reservoir. Mastering the task of filling and priming may take a few tries, but it should soon become routine. Please refer to the following documentation for help:

• New Paradigm 515/715 Instructional CD-ROM
• Chapter 4, "Starting on insulin" in the User Guide.

What do I do if I have to go off the pump?

Always keep a record of the insulin dosage you'd take by injection, in the event that you have to return to injection therapy. Keep this record, a current prescription, and backup supplies in your diabetes "Emergency Kit." For a complete list of what you should keep in your kit, see Chapter 1, "Introduction," in your User Guide.

If you still have questions, feel free to contact us via our email form.