Insulin Therapy & Administration Flashcards
7 cards from real Diabetes practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Insulin Therapy & Administration flashcards as text
During a home visit, an educator finds a patient storing opened insulin vials in the freezer. What education point is most critical?
Answer: Freezing destroys insulin potency and the vials must be discarded
Freezing causes insulin protein denaturation and crystal formation, rendering the insulin ineffective; frozen insulin vials should be discarded.
What is the recommended approach when a patient forgets a dose of once-daily basal insulin at bedtime and remembers the next morning?
Answer: Administer the missed dose in the morning if within 12 hours, then resume normal schedule
For long-acting basal insulin, a missed dose can be given the next morning if the gap is less than 12 hours, then the next dose returns to the usual scheduled time.
A patient on CSII therapy with type 1 diabetes plans to exercise vigorously for 60 minutes. Which pump strategy is most appropriate to prevent hypoglycemia?
Answer: Set a temporary reduced basal rate 60–90 minutes before and during exercise
Setting a temporary reduced basal rate (typically 50–80% reduction) 60–90 minutes before exercise helps prevent exercise-induced hypoglycemia by reducing insulin on board.
Which of the following best describes 'insulin stacking' and why it is dangerous?
Answer: Administering a correction bolus before the previous bolus has finished acting, risking cumulative overdose
Insulin stacking occurs when correction doses are given before the active insulin from a prior dose has dissipated, leading to overlapping action and severe hypoglycemia.
A patient asks why their insulin pump uses only rapid-acting insulin for both boluses and basal delivery. What is the correct explanation?
Answer: The pump mimics the pancreas by delivering small continuous doses of rapid-acting insulin, eliminating the need for long-acting formulations
Insulin pumps deliver rapid-acting insulin continuously in micro-doses to replicate basal secretion and larger boluses at mealtimes, making separate long-acting insulin unnecessary.
Which statement about premixed insulin (e.g., 70/30) is accurate?
Answer: It combines a fixed ratio of intermediate and rapid- or short-acting insulin, limiting dose flexibility
Premixed insulins contain a fixed ratio of components, which limits the ability to independently adjust basal and bolus portions to match varying meal sizes and activity levels.
A patient injects insulin into an area of lipohypertrophy. What clinical effect should the educator explain this can cause?
Answer: Erratic and unpredictable insulin absorption, causing inconsistent glucose control
Lipohypertrophic tissue has altered vascularity and structure, resulting in unpredictable insulin absorption that can cause unexplained glucose fluctuations.