If you want to avoid the laborious process listed in this chapter, here is a calculator I coded:
Insulin Calculator
On admission
- Hold oral agents and place on insulin
- If already on home insulin, may not need to stop
When on insulin
- Avoid hypo/hyperglycemia extremes
- Hypoglycemia- AMS, confusion
- Hyperglycemia- delayed wound healing, infection risk, longer stay, longer/ delayed procedures
Goals
- Treat when BG's>140s and persistent
- ICU: goal 140-180
- Non-ICU goal: premeal (100-140)
- Random Non-ICU goal: 100-180
Insulins
- Lispro: short-acting, used in pre-meal and sliding scales
- Regular: usually not used
- NPH: 5-7 hours--> used if you anticipate increase in BGL (steroids)
- Glargine/Lantus: Basal/long-acting for 24H
Insulin Experienced
- ICU ill: goal 140-180--> often require insulin drip
- Not critically ill: BG<140. Do 25-50% of home dose if well-controlled
Insulin naïve
- Same BG goal as above
- Determine total daily dose
- Add sliding scale for pre-meal correction
- Total daily dose
- Underweight, old, dialysis: .3U/kg body weight
- Normal weight: .4U/kg
- Overweight: .5/kg
- Obese, insulin resistant, glucocorticoids: >= 0.6U/kg
- Sliding scale
- Low dose (underweight, old, CKD):
- Medium dose (normal weight)
- High dose: obese, insulin resistant, glucocorticoid use
- Total daily dose
TDD
Example, in case you are confused as I was for years:
47 yo male obese (270kg) with T2DM and A1c is 12, not critically ill. Calculate his insulin dose?
- TDD: 270kg * 0.6=0.6 162U of insulin
- Daily basal bolus: 81U basal (long-acting) and 81U bolus (pre-meal)
- 81U bolus/ 3 meals a day= 27U pre-meal
- Sliding scale: high dose
- Final regimen: 81U basal + 27U pre-meal TID + high dose sliding scale for pre-meal correction
- Daily check of sliding scale to see how you do
- i.e. 12U of insulin premeal correction needed before each meal= 12 * 3 meals= 36U of insulin
- Total daily insulin need= 162 U insulin +36=36 198U
- New regimen= 99U basal + 33U TID
Correctional scale | |
---|---|
Glucose Range | Insulin (lispro) |
<140 | 0 |
141-180 | 2 |
181-220 | 4 |
221-260 | 6 |
261-300 | 8 |
301-340 | 10 |
>340 | 12 |