Different delivery options are also available. Traditional insulin therapy uses injections, either via syringes or insulin pens. These pens can be easier to use than syringes and look very much like writing pens. Frequency and dosing depend on glucose levels and the type of insulin prescribed. Patients may also need to increase fingerstick monitoring for safety and for properly titrating dosages of insulin.Patients can also use insulin pumps or inhaled insulin. A pump provides a continuous delivery of rapid-acting insulin through a catheter under the skin. The constant flow delivered by the pump is called the basal rate. At mealtimes, or at other times when patients want to take insulin to cover snacks or to “correct” blood glucose levels, the user programs the pump to deliver an additional dose, called a bolus. A newer product, inhaled insulin, is a short-acting substance inhaled before meals or snacks. It eliminates injections, at least for short-acting insulin, but it’s not as precise as injections. The long-term health risks, if any, are unknown.

Popularity: 22% [?]