Medtronic has issued an “Urgent Medical Device Correction” about the accuracy of insulin pump delivery during changes in air pressure, such as airplane takeoffs and landings.
“We request you share with these patients a communication that Medtronic created to inform them of the importance of monitoring their glucose levels during dynamic atmospheric pressure conditions – such as flight takeoff and flight landing, as insulin delivery volume accuracy may be impacted,” the company said in the alert.
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 Medical News 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 takeoff, potentially leading to hypoglycemia. 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 airplane landing, the air bubbles can be compressed and result in less insulin being delivered than intended, leading to hyperglycemia.
Medtronic received 138 complaints potentially related to this problem between 2003-2024. Of those, 19 reported serious injuries although none were confirmed to be related to the problem.
“Please discuss the importance of monitoring glucose frequently during situations of rapidly changing air pressure (such as flying) and being prepared to treat hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia with all new and existing patients,” Medtronic advises healthcare professionals.
Miriam E. Tucker is a freelance journalist based in the Washington DC area. She is a regular contributor to Medscape, with other work appearing in the Washington Post, NPR’s Shots blog, and Diatribe. She is on X (formerly Twitter) @MiriamETucker and BlueSky @miriametucker.bsky.social