IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. Dose & frequency of insulin cannot be decided in one go, rather patient has to visit the doctor again, and again. So that it is finally decided what dose and concentration will actually suit a patient.
2. Patient should be properly educated about technique of injection of insulin, so that he has not to depend on others for this purpose.
3. Patient should be fully aware of the kind of insulin given to him and also for the duration of its effect.
4. How and when carbohydrate should be taken will depend on the type of insulin and its effect.
5. Reduced dose of insulin would automatically need a reduced diet.
6. Urine sugar tests are necessary to determine the type & concentration of insulin units.
7. Once a patient becomes dependent on insulin, its sudden cessation should never be resorted to by the patient himself, except under clear guidance and instructions from his doctor.
8. If a combination of short-term and long-term insulins fails to show positive results and also there is no marked improvement in sugar level (P.P.Test) then carbohydrate intake should be reduced in the diet.
9. Amount of physical labour, put in by a patient, should always be taken into consideration while dividing dose of insulin, diet and carbohydrate. This point has been discussed earlier, in sufficient details, hence repetition does not seem necessary.
10. Patients who are under-weight and prone to some sort of infections, like T.B. or Broncho-Pneumonia and where there is presence of acetones in the urine, will necessarily require insulin.
11. In other countries, some brand names may be different from those of ours. But the generic brand is the same. Hence, the types of insulins, available in our country, have been given in the table on preceeding page. This however, does not exclude the other types which might have been introduced in other countries or very recently introduced in our country.