Review of Subcutaneous Insulin Regimens in the Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Adults and Pediatrics.

Abstract

Objective: Summarize the studies evaluating the use of subcutaneous (SQ) insulin in the management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in adults and pediatrics.

Data sources: A PubMed literature search was conducted for articles published between 2000 and the end of May 2024 which contained the following terms in their title: (1) subcutaneous, glargine, or basal and (2) ketoa*.

Study selection and data extraction: Review articles, guidelines, meta-analysis, commentaries, studies not related to the acute management of DKA, studies evaluating continuous SQ insulin, animal studies, if the time to DKA resolution was not clearly defined, and studies where basal insulin was administered greater than 6 hours after the insulin infusion was started were excluded.

Data synthesis: The electronic search identified 58 articles. Following the initial screening 38 articles were excluded and 3 were added after bibliography review. Of the 23 articles assessed for eligibility, 7 were excluded. Sixteen articles were included. Five studies compared SQ rapid/short-acting insulin and intravenous (IV) insulin infusions in adults, 4 compared SQ rapid/short-acting insulin and IV insulin infusions in pediatrics, 4 evaluated IV insulin infusions with or without SQ basal insulin in adults, and 3 evaluated IV insulin infusions with or without SQ basal insulin in pediatrics.

Relevance to patient care and clinical practice: In comparison with IV insulin infusions, rapid/short-acting SQ insulin regimens were associated with reduced ICU admission rates, hospital length of stay, and hospitalization costs. IV insulin infusion regimens that included a single SQ basal insulin dose upon therapy initiation were associated with reduced concurrent IV insulin infusion durations.

Conclusion: Studies reviewed suggest that SQ insulin regimens may be as effective and safe as IV insulin infusions in the management of DKA and are associated with the conservation of resources. Providers may refer to this review when establishing or modifying their DKA management protocols.