Traveling With a Pump or CGM Device? Call Your Doctor First

Traveling by plane over the holidays? Do you use an insulin pump or a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device? You may want to talk to your doctor before heading to the airport.

Airport Security Scanners and Pressurized Cabins

According to an editorial appearing in the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, the full-body / X-ray scanners used in airport security to screen us have the potential to cause these devices to malfunction.

Andrew Cornish, B.A., and H. Peter Chase, MD, a pair of researchers from the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado, Denver, co-wrote the editorial, entitled "Navigating Airport Security with an Insulin Pump and/or Sensor," arguing that despite a dearth of peer-reviewed research on the possible impact, the electromagnetic aspect of those airport security scanners pose a significant threat to the proper function of the motors in insulin delivery pumps and glucose monitoring devices.

They also noted that the pressured cabins of airplanes can cause these devices to boost insulin delivery by a slight percentage – a reality few are aware of.

A Note from Your Doctor

One possible way to avoid any problems with the electromagnetic qualities of airport scanners is to obtain a letter from your doctor, as the authors detail:

We currently provide all patients with a standard travel letter, which details the medical supplies travelers must keep on their person during flights and can be presented to security officials in the event they have questions during the screening process. Among other things, the letter states, 'This patient's insulin infusion pump should not be exposed to magnetic X-ray equipment, including a full body scanner. Please ensure that this device be hand-checked by TSA personnel.'

In the face of the potential consequences of a malfunctioning pump, it's a smart idea that requires very little effort. TSA personnel may be taken aback by it at first, but they'll figure it out.

You can read and download the editorial here.