Forum for Injection Techniques observed Insulin Injection Day on Tuesday by releasing new recommendations for insulin injection usage and a call to combat Psychological Insulin Resistance or resistance to initiating insulin therapy.
Addressing a press conference in the City, Dr Anjana Hulse, Consultant, Paediatric Endocrinology, Apollo Hospital, said that among the problems that are noticed owing to a wrong technique of insulin injection administration is lipohypertrophy (a condition characterised by the formation of a lump under the skin caused by accumulation of extra fat at the site of many subcutaneous injections of insulin).
She said there were over 62 million patients with diabetes in the country. “Type 1 contributes to over 90 per cent of the cases. We have seen an increase in the number of children with diabetes, especially below the age of five,” Hulse said.
“It is important for children to be taught how to inject insulin themselves. Most of the times, since an emotional component is involved, parents might find it difficult to administer it to the child. Thus, it becomes important that the doctor also plays the role of an educator and guides them about the right techniques,” she said.
Dr Prasanna Kumar, Senior Endocrinologist and CEO, Bangalore Diabetes Hospital, said, “Many people are unaware of the complications that may arise due to incorrect insulin administration. People have some favourite injection spots and they use the same spot over and over again. Sadly, many people with diabetes haven’t received proper education in terms of how to give an insulin shot correctly.”
The FIT recommendations also suggest that correct injection technique can help protect against lipohypertrophy, unexplained hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and blood glucose variation.
Shorter needles can provide safety from injecting into muscle, as an insulin injection in the muscle may lead to hypoglycemia. Several factors, including regular inspection of injection sites, preventing reuse of needle, correct site rotation, influence the success of insulin injection therapy.