By Robin Varela, RN, BSN, contributor
For years, short-acting “regular” insulin was the fastest acting insulin available for patients. Regular insulin was considered the insulin of choice for IV infusions and given IV push to treat insulin shock.
Enter rapid-acting insulin—most commonly Humalog (insulin lispro) and NovoLog (insulin aspart). This insulin has a faster onset of action and a shorter duration of action as compared to regular insulin. Most often given before meals, rapid-acting insulin has made a difference in patients’ lives.
Rapid-acting insulins were first released 10 years ago and are now a part of many patients’ therapy. Be sure that you know and understand its rapid onset of action.
So, don’t forget: Rapid-acting is faster than short acting—every time.
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