You are asked to administer 10 units of insulin to a dog in your clinic. You know that insulin is quite fragile in its suspended form, so you carefully place the vial on your bench top and without disturbing the contents withdraw your volume from the very top of the fluid. What is wrong with this scenario?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Insulin, especially if it's a suspension (e.g., NPH insulin), needs to be gently mixed before drawing it up to ensure the correct dosage. Drawing from the top without mixing means the insulin concentration may not be uniform, leading to drawing up less active insulin than intended.

You Are Asked to Administer 10 Units of Insulin to a Dog