Short Acting Insulin (Old)

Summary

Short-acting insulin formulations include regular insulin. As a short acting insulin, regular insulin works slower than rapid-acting insulins but faster than intermediate acting insulins, with a peak around 2 hours after subcutaneous administration. Importantly, regular insulin is special because it is the only type of insulin that can be given through an IV line. Regular insulin has a clear appearance, and when mixed in a syringe with intermediate-acting insulins, the regular insulin should be drawn up in the syringe first.

Key Points

• Short Acting Insulin
  • Drug Names
    • Regular Insulin (Humulin R, Novolin R)
  • Onset, Peak, Duration
    • Onset = 30 minutes - 1 hour
    • Peak = ~2 hours
      • Exact peak depends on patient and ranges from 2-5 hours
    • Duration = 5-8 hours
  • Nursing Considerations
    • The only insulin administered via IV
    • “Clear” in appearance
    • When mixing with NPH, draw Regular insulin FIRST
      • Clear before cloudy, or “RN” - regular before NPH