Comparing SC and IV Insulin Administration for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) usually is treated by administering an intravenous (IV) infusion of low dose, regular insulin—which often involves the use of costly infusion pumps and patient admission into the intensive care unit (ICU). Subcutaneous (SC) administration of rapid-acting insulin analogs, however, does not require ICU admission. With this in mind, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia set out to determine whether the latter treatment is a useful and cost-effective alternative to the former for uncomplicated DKA.