A patient who has required an insulin drip is being transitioned to subcutaneous insulin.Which intervention would the nurse anticipate?
A)Administering NPH insulin subcutaneously every 2 hours according to fingerstick blood sugar.
B)Administering the prescribed dose of NPH insulin 2 hours before discontinuing the insulin drip.
C)Tapering the insulin drip administration rate over the next several days.
D)Plan to administer twice the number of units of NPH insulin that the patient has been receiving per hour in regular insulin.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Administering the prescribed dose of NPH insulin 2 hours before discontinuing the insulin drip is the appropriate way to transition a patient from an insulin drip to subcutaneous insulin. This allows enough time for the NPH insulin to take effect before the drip is discontinued, preventing a gap in insulin coverage. Option A is not appropriate as administering insulin every two hours is too frequent and could result in hypoglycemia. Option C is not necessary as tapering the drip rate is not required if the patient is transitioning to subcutaneous insulin. Option D is not appropriate as the dosage of NPH insulin should be based on the patient's current insulin requirements, not a multiple of their current drip rate.

A Patient Who Has Required an Insulin Drip Is Being