Retained Diabetes Devices-A Literature Review.

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Diabetes Technology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Diabetes management involves devices that puncture the skin, posing a risk of unintentional retention.
• Retained diabetes devices can include components of continuous glucose monitors, infusion sets, lancets, and insulin needles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review case studies of retained diabetes devices.
• To analyze the success rates of current imaging techniques for identification and device removal.

Main Methods:

• Searched PubMed and Google Scholar for articles on retained diabetes devices.
• Included relevant case studies with details on discovery and removal.
• Calculated identification and removal success rates as percentages.

Main Results:

• Sixteen case studies of retained diabetes devices were identified.
• Imaging technologies (X-rays, CT scans) showed a 100% success rate in identification.
• The overall success rate for surgical removal of retained diabetes devices was 62.5%.

Conclusions:

• Increasing use of diabetes wearables heightens the risk of device detachment and retention.
• Awareness of identification technologies is crucial for managing retained diabetes devices.
• Surgical removal is possible in most cases when devices detach or become retained.