Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Use an Insulin Pen - Mayo Clinic Patient Education
- Insulin pen type
- The advantage of using this tool
- Practical
- Lack of pain
- Easy
- Insufficient insulin pen
- How to store insulin pens
Medical Video: How to Use an Insulin Pen - Mayo Clinic Patient Education
For people with diabetes in the past, injecting insulin could be the most annoying part of their treatment. Not to mention for those who have their own fears of syringes. The injection schedule can be a severe torture that can cause stress.The emergence of insulin pens in the 1990s then became a breath of fresh air for diabetics (the name for people who have diabetes) who needed insulin injections. The use of insulin pens became popular and shifted the use of syringes and small bottles (vials) of insulin.
Unlike syringes that openly display their needles, insulin pens are more "friendly" for diabetics who have needle phobias. As the name implies, an insulin pen is a tool for giving insulin into the body that is shaped like a pen. You have to stick a needle into your body to do insulin only in a better way. This tool allows you to make insulin injections more easily than those offered by insulin syringes.
Insulin pen type
In general, this type of injection is divided into two types, namely disposable and can be used repeatedly. Disposable insulin pens usually come with a filled insulin container. All injection pens must be removed if the insulin in the container has been used up.
Meanwhile, the insulin pen can be used repeatedly (reusable) does not require you to throw away the entire injection pen when the insulin in the container has run out. You can just replace the insulin container with a new one when it's used up. Some companies that have this product are Toujeo and Lantus.
What makes the method of administering insulin with this injection pen to be preferred is because patients do not need to see a terrible long needle. The inner needle on the injection pen, both disposable and which can be used repeatedly, mostly uses very short and thin needles. You might even just see the tip of the needle on the tip of your insulin pen.
Make sure you replace the syringe every time you inject with a disposable insulin pen or that can be used repeatedly. With proper care, you can use an insulin pen reusable for several years. Insulin syringes are usually available in several lengths and thicknesses. However, almost all types can be used on each insulin pen.
Because the insulin pen has two types, which one should you use? Consult your doctor about using the insulin pen that is right for you. The use of the type of injection pen usually depends on the type of insulin you need, the number of units at each injection, and the availability of injection pens for the type of insulin you are using.
The advantage of using this tool
Practical
This object offers several benefits for diabetics who need insulin injections compared to using syringes and vial bottles. The first advantage you get is practicality. Using an insulin pen, you don't have to bother carrying a small bottle of insulin and the needle and syringe everywhere. You also don't need to be bothered again by moving insulin from a small bottle (vial) to a syringe.
One complication that can occur in diabetics is a visual impairment. This disorder can make it difficult for them when they have to measure the amount of insulin that must be transferred from the vial to the syringe. With this object, the insulin injection ritual will make it easier for them to undergo their medical obligations.
Lack of pain
One of the side effects of injecting insulin is the possibility of a reaction at the point of injection, such as swelling, redness, and pain. The insulin pen has very thin and short needles. It also plays a role in helping to reduce the pain caused by injection.
In a study of 74 diabetic patients, the researchers found that the use of an insulin pen did not cause pain which means that when injected it was compared to using a syringe that had a longer needle. The size of the syringe possessed by this object also reduces the fear of diabetics about syringes.
Easy
As reported by Medical News Today, research shows that diabetics feel more comfortable and comfortable using injection pens for administering insulin than using plastic syringes. Its easy use can also make them measure the dose they need more precisely. This convenience then makes diabetics more routine in administering insulin compared to when they use syringes and vials.
The ease of using this device is proven to increase the adherence of a diabetics to carry out their diabetes treatment with insulin injection. In a study of 13,428 people with diabetes, as published in the Pharmacy Times, those who used insulin pens had decreased HbA1C levels compared to those who used syringes and vial bottles.
Insufficient insulin pen
Although proven to bring many advantages, this tool still has disadvantages. Usually this item has a more expensive price than if you use a syringe that comes from a plastic bottle and a vial. When injecting, a small amount of insulin is also wasted. Some insurers also do not cover the treatment using this injection pen.
How to store insulin pens
New and unused insulin pens must be stored in the refrigerator. However, for those already used, you do not need to keep it in the refrigerator continuously. This applies just like insulin storage in a vial.
As recommended by the American Diabetes Association, keep an insulin pen that has been opened at room temperature and use in 28 days. Discard if it has expired even though there is still insulin left over.
Make sure you have removed the needle on the injection pen. Do not store it in the attached needle even if the new needle because it will affect the cleanliness of the needle itself.
