Ensuring patient safety when managing concentrated insulin glargine and insulin degludec at hospital admission

Abstract

The development and use of concentrated insulins have increased in recent years. This can pose unique challenges when transitioning to a non-concentrated insulin during an inpatient admission. There is no clear consensus on the recommended interchange of the various concentrated insulins in the inpatient setting, with suggestions ranging from implementing a 1:1 unit dose conversion, a minimum 20% dose reduction or selecting an approach based on the total daily dose of the concentrated insulin. In a retrospective cohort analysis at a single health system, a greater number of hypoglycemic events occurred when implementing a 1:1 unit conversion of insulin glargine 300 units/mL (iGlar300) to insulin detemir 100 units/mL (iDet100) compared to the same conversion from insulin glargine 100 units/mL (iGlar100) to iDet100. This prompted identification of a standardized approach that would improve patient safety while also being operationally feasible at a multi-hospital network. The solution of implementing a minimum 20% dose reduction successfully improved hypoglycemia rates upon transitioning from iGlar300 to iDet100, though many logistical challenges were faced. Although iDet100 is being phased off the market, adhering to this minimum 20% dose reduction is the recommended approach when transitioning from iGlar300 to iGlar100, and this challenge persists as a relevant issue. Ensuring health systems are equipped to implement dose reductions when transitioning from concentrated basal insulins to non-concentrated basal insulin counterparts is paramount for maintaining patient safety. This paper will discuss the limited evidence available supporting optimal dosing when transitioning iGlar300 and insulin degludec 200 units/mL (iDeg200) to non-concentrated basal insulins and serve as a “how to” implementation guide for other health systems, based on one health system's approach in navigating this emerging patient safety issue.