Introduction
Calculating Bolus Easily and safely ICT-TRIO®
The ICT-TRIO速 consists of three calculation wheels for calculating insulin dosage. It is a care aid for
Diabetes Type 1. It is also useful for patients with Diabetes Type 2 if mealtime-related insulin injections are required on a daily basis. It is based on intensified conventional therapy, also known as ICT. Within this therapy, the patient receives the bolus, a dose of fast-acting insulin coordinated to their individual requirement, before each meal.
(The calculations by the ICT-TRIO速 apply exclusively for fast-acting insulin and are not to be used for mixed insulins, which contain both fast-acting and slow-acting insulin. If you are unsure whether your insulin is exclusively fastacting, then consult your doctor.) The therapeutic factors of the patient are preset and secured against improper adjustments. The dosage of the injections can then be calculated by the patient or their caregiver easily and safely.
The ICT-TRIO速 immediately gives this calculation a setting.
The following entry values are required to make the calculation:
1 BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL [mg/dl]
This should be measured by the patient at the time that has been tried and tested by their consulting service or by the patient themselves.
2 CARBOHYDRATE UNITS OF MEAL [gram CHO]
To measure this, the values of the most common foods can be found on the back side of the calculation wheels.
Diabetes Self-help with the ICT-TRIO®
The ICT-TRIO速 is not only intended as a medical tool but also as a training instrument for learning how to help yourself in insulin therapy. As a manual and analogue calculation device, it works with human thinking.
Each adjustment to the entry value and the subsequent result can be observed continually and checked for accuracy. For this reason, even those with low mathematic experience quickly achieve the necessary assurance in performing a bolus calculation.
The calculation can also be carried out by children, as long as they have mastered working with numbers as well as basic arithmetic. As a result, child patients can be involved in operating the calculation wheels at quite a young age. Even older patients who feel overwhelmed by complicated technical devices can manage the simple user guidance with the best possible clarity and easy-to-read font size.
The ICT therapy is portrayed with the following equation:
Insulin dosage = Carbohydrates / insulin to carbohydrates ratio + (blood sugar - target blood sugar) / correction factor
You will find the mathematical equation on the BASIS page at the end.
On the ICT-TRIO, this equation is portrayed with scales. Here, the insulin to carbohydrate ratio and the correction factor both prescribed by the doctor are fixed default settings. This makes it easy for the user to make the calculation.
They enter their consumed carbohydrates [gram CHO] under the arrow and read off their insulin dosage at their measured blood sugar content [mg/dl].
If the bolus more often tends away from the expected target blood sugar value, then consult with your doctor or consultation service about adapting the preset therapeutic factors.