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Prospective audit of conversion from regular to lispro insulin during routine clinical care
Author(s) -
Lunt H.,
Kendall D.,
Moore M. P.,
Scott R. S.,
Cole D.,
Frampton C. M.,
Cullens M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1444-0903.2004.00593.x
Subject(s) - medicine , insulin lispro , insulin , randomized controlled trial , observational study , regimen , glycemic , prospective cohort study , hypoglycemia , pediatrics
Background: Randomized controlled trials show that lispro insulin has the potential to improve glycaemic control. Observational, practice‐based studies provide information that is complementary to that obtained from randomized controlled trials and results of both types of studies are of relevance when advising patients of likely outcomes during routine clinical care. Aims: This prospective audit aimed to determine whether conversion from regular (short‐acting, soluble) preprandial insulin to lispro during routine clinical care improved glycated haemoglobin. Methods: Eligible patients were those using regular insulin before main meals and a basal neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin. Study group patients were those who chose to convert to lispro insulin. Patients who elected not to change their regimen were used as a comparison group. Follow up was for a minimum of 1 year. Results: Glycated haemoglobin (HbA 1c ) and body mass index showed no change in either the study or comparison groups. Post‐hoc analysis revealed that the patients most likely to improve their HbA 1c on lispro were those with a higher baseline HbA 1c . Patients using lispro reported a decreased frequency of hypoglycaemia and improved convenience of use. Conclusions: Administration of lispro insulin was perceived by patients as convenient to use and was also associated with less hypoglycaemia when compared with the use of regular insulin. There was, however, no improvement in HbA 1c . This finding may be informative when advising patients during routine clinical care of the likely metabolic outcome of changing their insulin regimen. (Intern Med J 2004; 34: 320−323)