Artificial Pancreas Study Approved for Trentino Children
TRENTO – The Ethics Committee of the Province for clinical trials has given the green light to a new study that will involve forty children from Trentino in the use of the so-called artificial pancreas. This device is used for managing diabetes and administering insulin, utilizing a sensor that constantly monitors glucose levels and a wearable insulin pump that delivers the hormone.
The study, which will be carried out in the Pediatrics department at Trento Hospital, aims to validate a questionnaire developed in collaboration with Pediatric diabetology centers of Chieti, Verona, and Naples Federico II University. This questionnaire will help understand families’ expectations on the artificial pancreas and evaluate whether it is the right solution for the personalized management of type 1 diabetes, a disease for which 285 children are being treated in the pediatric clinics of S. Chiara. The study is under the responsibility of Dr. Roberto Franceschi.
Better control of glycemic levels has excellent effects on the patient’s quality of life and prevents long-term complications. The artificial pancreas uses an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin to be administered automatically, ensuring a stable glucose level. This means that the patient or their family members only need to intervene at meal times.
While the artificial pancreas offers numerous benefits, it also requires constant “maintenance” and the need to carry around a visible device. It is composed of a sensor that reads sugar levels, an insulin pump connected to the body, and an algorithm for insulin administration.
The Trento Pediatric Diabetology Center applied the first artificial pancreas on a young patient with diabetes in late 2018, and the number has steadily increased since then given the positive results obtained.
In Trentino, approximately 1,400 patients suffer from type 1 diabetes, accounting for 5% of the diabetic population. The study aims to provide valuable insights into the potential use of the artificial pancreas among children in managing diabetes.