Not All Long-Acting Insulins Are The Same
- Anne L. Peters Harmel, MD and
- Lauren Somma, RN, CDE
- From the Department of Endocrinology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Glargine (Lantus) is an insulin analog recently available in the U.S. It is a long-acting insulin but differs from other long-acting insulins (such as NPH, Lente, and ultralente) because it is clear as opposed to cloudy. It also has an acidic pH and should not be mixed with other insulins. Because it is new and patients and physicians do not have a long history of using it, mistakes can occur. A number of our patients have mixed glargine and rapid-acting insulin, in spite of being instructed not to. Additionally, it is no longer possible to distinguish between short- …
