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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
Basal insulin therapy
John N Clore1, Linda Thurby-Hay
1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1300 E. Marshall Street, North Hospital, Room 8-045, Box 980155, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. clore@hsc.vcu.edu.
Abstract:
The initiation of insulin therapy is a significant event for patients with diabetes and the physicians who care for them. Reluctance to begin insulin is multifactorial, with a major stumbling block being the perceived complexity of insulin. However, this complexity can be easily overcome by separation of insulin administration into its two components: basal and bolus therapy. An understanding of the role of basal insulin in the regulation of glucose and the development of strategies to implement basal insulin therapy can provide a transition that is rational and highly effective in most patients. The strategy also offers a unique approach to diabetes education, which permits a focused and patient-specific correction to glucose abnormalities.
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