What is an insulin sliding scale? Find an example of a scale and how insulin doses change per patient. Write a brief description of how the scale is used and how insulin affects glucose.
Sliding scale therapy approximates daily insulin requirements. The term
"sliding scale" refers to the progressive increase in pre-meal or nighttime insulin doses.
The term “sliding scale” refers to the progressive increase in the pre-meal or nighttime insulin dose, based on predefined blood glucose ranges. In the sliding-scale method, the dose is based on your blood sugar level just before your meal. The higher your blood sugar, the more insulin you take. SSI therapy has been around since the 1930s. It’s most often used in hospitals and other healthcare …show more content…
Instead, they recommend using basal insulin, with mealtime insulin added as needed. Basal insulin involves long-acting insulin injections that help keep insulin levels steady throughout the day. Added to this are rapid-acting mealtime insulin and correction doses to regulate blood sugar levels after meals. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities seem to be listening to these recommendations. Today, they’re using SSI therapy less often than before. Some experts say that sliding-scale insulin therapy should be phased out completely. But one report from the American Diabetes Association says more research still needs to be done. The report calls for more studies to compare sliding-scale insulin with other insulin regimens before doctors make the final verdict. You’ll probably only encounter sliding-scale insulin therapy if you’re admitted to the hospital or another healthcare facility. Ask your doctor about how your insulin delivery will be scheduled while you’re there, and what options are available to