Year: 1983 Source: British Medical Journal, v.287, no.6387, (July 23, 1983), p.249-250 SIEC No: 19861478

An elderly woman with longstanding insulin dependent diabetes tried to commit suicide by injecting 400 units of insulin subcutaneously (usual total daily dose 56 units). She was admitted to hospital within the hour & treated with an artificial pancreas. This avoided the usual difficulty of the physician having to cope with rapid & substantial fluctuations in blood glucose concentrations. Using an artificial pancreas may avoid the need for surgical intervention such as excising the site.