Basal rate:
Basal rate is the rate at which the insulin pump (See: Insulin pump) infuses insulin doses over a period of 24 hours. The basal insulin requirement of each person depends upon many factors such as calorie intake, and activity levels. People use insulin pumps as it provides a steady flow of insulin into the body so that the glucose produced is utilized. An insulin pump allows people to administer mealtime insulin doses and background insulin doses. This provides them a basal-bolus therapy. People who use insulin pump can program the insulin pump in order to administer specific amount of basal insulin doses for the prescribed times of the day. By programming the necessary basal rates (one might differ from the other) for the 24-hour period, one can administer the required doses via the insulin pump. The combination of the different basal rates is called the basal flow pattern or the basal profile. To determine the initial basal rate and to adapt the basal rate with respect to different situations, the services of a healthcare provider is needed.
