Insulin Delivery Devices – Insulin Pens
It is good to have choices in delivering insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin pens are so convenient with their combination of an insulin vial and syringe into one portable gadget. Its usage is so simple as you merely attach a pen needle to the pen each time you wish to inject. Then, you dial to select a dose, get the needle beneath the skin before pressing the button for the delivery of the insulin. However, some pens are different and you ought to look into certain matters before deciding on the pen to purchase.
Is the pen compatible with my type of insulin?
A pen may be for the use of a certain type of insulin. So, if you have started on insulin, you have to choose one which is suitable for the type of insulin you are on. If you use two or three types of insulin, and therefore require two or three pens, be sure you can recognize the pens for each type of insulin so that you do not use another insulin instead of the one you need.
Insulin Pens Teaching -Video Guide
Which should I purchase, a reusable pen or a disposable one?
For certain types of insulin, there is a choice between reusable or disposable pens. Disposable pens have a cartridge prefilled with insulin and should be refrigerated until needed. After starting use, it ought to be put it in a safe place in a room. As the name implies, when there is no more insulin in the cartridge, the pen can be thrown away. A refrigerator is not the place to store reusable pens. The user has to buy insulin cartridges as they do not come with the reusable pens. However, the cartridges need to be stored in a refrigerator until the user loads them into the reusable pen.
With the pen, can I control the insulin doses?
The difference between one pen and another can be their dosing increments as well as the biggest amount they can release at one time. For diabetics, who are too sensitive to insulin’s effects, like children, can be given doses in half-unit increments. Pens with 2-unit increments or the ability to increase dosage at a time may be beneficial to people who are insulin-resistant.
Pen Needles
For every injection, you ought to use a new needle. The needle which is screwed onto the pen, comes with different lengths of between approximately 4 mm and 12 mm. The gauges are also different; the needle is thinner when the gauge is higher.
Normally, thin people use shorter needles than heavier people. If a thin diabetic injects with a longer needle, there is the possibility of the needle pricking muscle tissue. On the other hand, if a short needle is used by a heavy person, insulin would most probably leak at the spot being injected, resulting in less insulin being sent into the bloodstream. A possible way to avoid such problems is holding the skin up for the injection.
Normally, thickers can cause more pain than a thinner one. However, the perception of pain depends on the individual. For bigger doses, it is better to use a thicker needle. Insulin pen needle must never be reused
Safety Note
To avoid the transmission of severe diseases, like hepatitis B, insulin pens ought not to be shared, even with the needle changed.