How to Calculate Your Basal Rate With the OmniPod

The OmniPod is a continuous insulin delivery system, or insulin pump. OmniPod is manufactured by Insulet. The OmniPod is a small, pod-shaped device that attaches directly to your skin with an adhesive patch. This allows you to manage your basal insulin dosage and mealtime amounts through the electronic Personal Diabetes Manager. Once you calculate your basal rate, the dosage is stored in the Personal Diabetes Manager that controls the pod's insulin delivery. Consult your diabetes specialist or care team to adjust your insulin delivery to best suit your needs.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Calculator

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Keep track of every unit of insulin you take over a 7-day span before transitioning to your OmniPod. Write down each dose of insulin on a sheet of paper.

• 2

  Add the doses together at the end of 7 days to obtain the total units of insulin you took over the course of the week. Divide the total by 7 to get the average amount of insulin per day. For example, if you take 20 units of long-acting insulin daily plus three rapid-acting mealtime doses of 4 units each, and this remains consistent every day, you will have an average daily insulin requirement of 32 units.

• 3

  Divide your total insulin requirement in half. The OmniPod delivers half of your daily insulin need in a basal amount throughout the day. The other half is reserved for your mealtime doses to manage the carbohydrates in your meal.

• 4

  Monitor your blood sugar readings regularly while using the OmniPod. Talk to your doctor about adjusting your basal rate if you notice that your blood sugar is repeatedly higher than your target range, particularly during periods of time when you have not eaten.