Drug information provided by: IBM Micromedex Show Make sure you have the type (beef and pork, pork, or human) and the strength of insulin that your doctor ordered for you. You may find that keeping an insulin label with you is helpful when buying insulin supplies. The concentration (strength) of insulin is measured in USP Insulin Units and USP Insulin Human Units and is usually expressed in terms such as U-100 insulin. Insulin doses are measured and injected with specially marked insulin syringes. The appropriate syringe is chosen based on your insulin dose to make measuring the dose easy to read. This helps you measure your dose accurately. These syringes come in three sizes: 3/10 cubic centimeters (cc) measuring up to 30 USP Units of insulin, ½ cc measuring up to 50 USP Units of insulin, and 1 cc measuring up to 100 USP Units of insulin. It is important to follow any instructions from your doctor about the careful selection and rotation of injection sites on your body. There are several important steps that will help you successfully prepare your insulin injection. To draw the insulin up into the syringe correctly, you need to follow these steps:
How to prepare your insulin dose if you are using one type of insulin:
How to prepare your insulin dose if you are using two types of insulin:
How to inject your insulin dose:
How to use special injection devices:
For patients using an automatic injector (with a disposable syringe):
For patients using a continuous subcutaneous infusion insulin pump:
For patients using disposable syringes:
For patients using an insulin pen device (cartridge and disposable needles):
For patients using nondisposable syringes (glass syringe and metal needle):
For patients using a spray injector (device without needles):
Laws in some states require that used insulin syringes and needles be destroyed. Be careful when you recap, bend, or break a needle, because these actions increase the chances of a needle-stick injury. It is best to put used syringes and needles in a disposable container that is puncture-resistant (such as an empty plastic liquid laundry detergent or bleach bottle) or to use a needle-clipping device. The chance of a syringe being reused by someone else is smaller if the plunger is taken out of the barrel and broken in half when you dispose of a syringe. Use this medicine only as directed. Do not use more or less insulin than recommended by your doctor. To do so may increase the chance of serious side effects. Your doctor will give you instructions about diet, exercise, how to test your blood sugar levels, and how to adjust your dose when you are sick.
DosingThe dose medicines in this class will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. For regular insulin (R)—Crystalline zinc, human buffered, and human regular insulins
For isophane insulin (NPH)—Isophane and human isophane insulins
For isophane insulin human/insulin human (NPH/R)—Human isophane/human regular insulin
For insulin zinc (L)—Lente and human lente insulins
For insulin zinc extended (U)—Ultralente and human ultralente insulins
For prompt insulin zinc (S)—Semilente insulin
StorageStore in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Unopened bottles of insulin should be refrigerated until needed and may be used until the printed expiration date on the label. Insulin should never be frozen. Remove the insulin from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature before injecting it. An insulin bottle in use may be kept at room temperature for up to 1 month. Insulin that has been kept at room temperature for longer than a month should be thrown away. Storing prefilled syringes in the refrigerator with the needle pointed up reduces problems that can occur, such as crystals forming in the needle and blocking it up. Do not expose insulin to extremely hot temperatures or to sunlight. Extreme heat will cause insulin to become less effective much more quickly. Portions of this document last updated: July 01, 2022 Copyright © 2022 IBM Watson Health. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. . Which steps are necessary when preparing two medications in one syringe?When mixing medications from a vial and an ampule, the nurse should prepare medications from the vial first and then withdraw medication from the ampule using the same syringe and a filter needle.
What order should you mix two types of insulin in one syringe?When you mix regular insulin with another type of insulin, always draw the regular insulin into the syringe first. When you mix two types of insulins other than regular insulin, it does not matter in what order you draw them into the syringe.
Can you mix medications in the same syringe?While it is not recommended to use the same needle and syringe to enter more than one medication vial because of the risks described above, there are circumstances where more than one vial may need to be entered with the same syringe and needle (e.g., when reconstituting medications or vaccines).
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