An alert has been issued by Medtronic about possible fluctuations in insulin pump delivery during changes in air pressure during, for example, aeroplane take-offs and landings.
The “urgent medical device correction” recommends health professionals to remind users of the importance of monitoring their glucose levels during dynamic atmospheric pressure conditions, reports Medscape Medical News.
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 isn’t unique to Medtronic’s products, as Medscape reported in 2024 and in 2016. The phenomenon was described in the literature in 2011.
Unintended insulin delivery can occur with expansion of air bubbles inside the reservoir when the air pressure decreases, as with flight take-off, potentially leading to hypoglycaemia. This can occur even when the pump’s delivery is suspended or programmed to zero units per hour, Medtronic cautioned.
And when air pressure increases, as with a plane landing, the air bubbles can be compressed and result in less insulin being delivered than intended, leading to hyperglycaemia.
Medtronic received 138 complaints potentially related to this problem between 2003-2024. Of those, 19 reported serious injuries although none was confirmed to be related to the problem.
Medscape article – Air Travel Alters Insulin Pump Delivery on Takeoff, Landing (Open access)
Medscape article – Medtronic Warns About Insulin Pump Action During Air Travel (Open access)
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