Treatment Options to Control Blood Glucose

Treatment Option F: Regular Insulin According to “Sliding Scale” (ie, for blood sugars >200 mg/dL)

Primary care physicians who do not treat patients with diabetes on a regular basis may still use insulin in this manner and may be unaware of data that show that sliding scale insulin, when used alone, commonly increases risk for both hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes. This is no longer an acceptable way to treat diabetes. Regular insulin peaks in 2 to 4 hours. Therefore, giving an injection of graded amounts of insulin before a meal, then having to correct for postmeal hyperglycemia, is not logical. One of the goals of this activity is to stress the recommendation that patients with severe insulin deficiency routinely be treated with both basal and prandial insulin.

This completes “Case 1”.

Please click here to continue with “Case 2”, or return to “Case 1”