Drawing up insulin

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Ok. Basic question here, but I'd like to know.

I had a question arise that stated:

'you are ordered to draw up 40 units of Insulin in a needle. How much do you draw up?'

Answers were:

.4

40

4

Can someone please tell me the right answer? I only drew up insulin ONE time. Thanks!

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Use an insulin syringe and draw up 40 units.

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Specializes in Med/surg. ED. Palliative. Geront.

Was this an exam question? If so, that's pretty poor...

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I've actually seen that exam question.

I circled the 40 and pointed up that an insulin syringe had to be used and got it right. And a pat on the head from the CNE for pointing out a faulty question.

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well first i'd like to know what kind of insulin? what time am i supposed to give it?? it would be 40 units of ____________ insulin drawn up in an insulin syringe.

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Specializes in Med/surg. ED. Palliative. Geront.

on the subject of iffy questions...

there was a question in the practice book for the crne that went along the lines of 'student reports a high blood sugar reading. do you 1) recheck it with the student 2) phone the doc 3) leave it til later...'

the correct (according to the answer book) was 'phone the doc'. The rationale was that you don't recheck it with the student because you dont want to make them think they're not very good at stuff....

Clearly the examiner has never seen a patient eating food with their fingers...

...Just trying to imagine having to phone the Doc back to explain that the patient is now hypo after the stat insulin because the patient had dirty, sticky hands at the time of the gluc check...

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Thanks! I just remembered drawing up the insulin in an insulin syringe and I went to 10 units. That was the ordered dose, but it was actually like .10 on the syringe. So I was not sure about this.

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well first i'd like to know what kind of insulin? what time am i supposed to give it?? it would be 40 units of ____________ insulin drawn up in an insulin syringe.

u100 vs u40, especially in a hospital setting.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Be sure it is an insulin syringe to get the appropriate dose. 0.4 refers to cc, not units, and can result in wrong dose.

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i was just stating that i didn't like the order, it was incomplete. no date, time, rte, and there are diff insulins, reg, lantus, etc. i'm a little picky like that.

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Type 1 diabetic here.. if a "needle" is said, it is 99% meant to be read as an insulin syringe (why would you use anything other than that IDK?!) So you would draw up 40 units of whatever insulin was ordered. Making sure it was not .40 units. Insulin is ALWAYS counted as "units" and NOT CC/ML! (I could only imagine a HUGE syringe of 40 CC of insulin... there isn't enough Glucagon or D50 to reverse that for me!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Cursedandblessed: As a diabetic, I appreciate nurses who think like you do!

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