Regular insulin instead of Humulin 70/30

Nurses Medications

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Hi all.

What is the effect on a patient if given, say 10 units of regular insulin instead of the prescribed order of Humulin 70/30?

Thanks.

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I would suggest your look up your onsets, peaks, and durations of various insulins. There are many charts accessible via Google.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

That could be very serious. Monitor carefully

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By "regular" insulin, do you mean Humulin R or something along those lines? If so, it will act a lot quicker and there will be no long acting part of the insulin. If this is a matter of 10 units, the patient has just received 7 regular units that should have been long acting units. Hypoglycemia in 3... 2... 1...

And even if you treat the hypoglycemia, watch out for hyperglycemia later. There is nothing in the system to bring down the blood sugar after a later meal (if the patient gets 10 units of the "R" once daily at breakfast rather than the 30/70, nothing is in the system to bring the sugar down after supper.. lunch might also be an issue).

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I think you wold need to tell the MD and your co-workers and watch the patient for hypoglycemia.

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