by Laura Dunkley

Created on: February 13, 2009

To use insulin correctly, you need to know what is insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta-cells of the pancreas that controls the amount of glucose in the body. In type 1 because the body is not producing insulin, it becomes necessary to get insulin from the body. There is a wide variety of insulin available and the type you use determines how it is used.

Rapid acting insulin. These are the analogs, lispro, aspart, glulisine, work within 15 minutes of administration, peaks in 30 minutes to an hour and last three to four hours. Take rapid acting insulin at least 15 minutes before you eat. Because it lasts three to four hours, for coverage, it needs to be taken at each meal.

Short acting insulin is regular insulin which works within a half hour of administration, peaks in two to four hours and lasts six to eight hours. This is often mixed with NPH at breakfast to provide lunchtime coverage. Regular insulin is taken one to two times daily.

Intermediate acting insulin is NPH and works in one to three hours. It peaks in four to twelve hours and lasts 16 to 24 hours. Often mixed with regular insulin for breakfast it peaks in time for lunch. It is taken again in the early evening to provide evening and nighttime coverage.

Basal insulin. Insulin glargine and insulin detemir, has no peak and lasts 20 to 24 hours and can be taken at bedtime or in the morning. It starts working in one to five hours. Taken at bed time to provide overnight coverage for patients using rapid acting insulin. Glargine last on average 18 to 24 hours and detemir slightly less at 16 to 24 hours.

How to administer your insulin depends on whether you use a pen or a syringe. Injection sites are the upper arm, front and side of thighs, buttocks and the abdomen. Insulin injected in the abdomen works fastest and slowest in the thigh.

Insulin is injected subcutaneously with a small needle or with an insulin pen. Following is how to use a syringe and then the insulin pen.

Using an insulin syringe

1. Wash your hands

2. Uncover the insulin bottle ans wipe the top with alcohol.

3. Pull back the plunger of the syringe and draw air into the syringe in an equal amount to your dose. Put the needle into the bottle and inject air into the bottle. Push the plunger down. Turn the bottle upside down.

4. Make sure the tip of the needle is in the insulin. Pull back the plunger to draw the correct dose into the syringe.

5. Make sure there are no air bubbles before taking the needle out of the bottle. If there are air

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