Subcutaneous insulin pulse therapy

Subcutaneous Insulin Pulse Therapy (SIPT) consists of administration of small doses of regular insulin hourly or two hourly in the subcutaneous tissue of anterior abdominal wall through a scalp vein needle. Fifteen Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) subjects, 8 males and 7 females with mean ages 58 +/- 8.7 years and mean duration of diabetes 11.7 +/- 9.1 years and mean BMI 25.2 +/- 5.64 were admitted for elective surgery. Glycemic control was attempted preoperatively with multiple pre-meal doses of Actrapid MC with a single injection of Monotard MC at bed time. The mean fasting plasma glucose in the 15 subjects with this insulin regimen was 321.28 +/- 69.32 mgm% and the insulin requirement per day was 106.87 +/- 35.77 units. The subjects were put on SIPT for 48 to 72 hours. During SIPT the mean fasting plasma glucose dropped to 123.2 +/- 74.11 mgm% and this marked decline in fasting plasma glucose value was statistically significant (P < .05). The insulin requirement during SIPT was 96.42 +/- 31.36 units, similar to the previous regimen (NS). The subjects were switched back to conventional insulin therapy after SIPT during which period the mean fasting plasma glucose was 125.82 +/- 34.50 mgm% and this value was again significantly lower than the pre SIPT fasting plasma glucose value (P < .05). Insulin requirement during conventional insulin therapy after SIPT was reduced to 71 +/- 21.89 units/day. This dose was significantly lower than the insulin dose administered during SIPT (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)