Insulin Lispro Research Paper

Words: 642
Pages: 3

Insulin is a hormone produced naturally from the β-cells of the pancreas. It works with glucagon to maintain glucose homeostasis. Patients who are diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus are at risk of severe Hyperglycemia due to either: β-cell destruction and a loss of insulin secretion, also known as Type 1 diabetes; or their tissues become resistant to insulin, also known as Type 2 diabetes. Insulin Lispro (Humalog®) is a rapid-acting insulin analogue almost identical to human endogenous insulin. It is used for people with Type 1 diabetes and becoming more popular in people with Type 2 diabetes to try and achieve glucose control. It is structurally similar to human insulin except for a small change causing it to have a reduced ability to self-associate, speeding up absorption. It forms stable hexamers that will dissociate into monomers more rapidly when it is subcutaneously injected into the skin, …show more content…
Each form of Humalog® has a different onset of action, peak, and duration of action, and if the wrong form was chosen to be administered it could alter the effects of the insulin. To prevent these errors from happening nurses should be aware of the three different forms, understand the differences between them and the risk factors involved. Nurses are also responsible for checking with their patients and making sure they know what form they are supposed to be using, and understanding how they work. If their patients lack an understanding it is important that the nurse provides them with the appropriate education. Nurses should also always make sure the labels of the insulin they are administering matches what the patient is supposed to be taking (Tiaki, 2010). As a nurse you can also ensure that other staff members and health professionals involved are educated on Humalog® and aware of the effects it can