Insulin, Short-Acting Injectable: Dosing and Precautions
Short-acting insulin guidance for diabetes and emergency treatment of severe hyperglycaemia.
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Source reviewed
October 2024
Guide category
Injectable drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
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Therapeutic action
Rapid-acting pancreatic antidiabetic hormone.
Indications
- Diabetes.
- Emergency treatment of hyperglycaemia, including diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state.
Forms and strengths, route of administration
- Solution of 100 IU/ml in a 3 ml pre-filled pen (300 IU/3 ml) for deep SC injection only in the abdomen, thigh, buttock, or arm.
- Solution of 100 IU/ml in a 10 ml vial (1000 IU/10 ml) for deep SC injection, IV injection with a syringe calibrated in insulin units, or IV infusion.
Dose
Diabetes
- Child and adult: one SC injection 15 to 30 minutes before a meal, in combination with intermediate-acting insulin.
- Dosage must be individualized according to need and adapted in the event of physical activity, change in diet, or infection.
Emergency treatment of hyperglycaemia
- Adult: initial dose of 0.1 IU/kg by IV injection then 0.1 IU/kg/hour by continuous IV infusion.
- Adapt the protocol to blood glucose levels.
- See "Insulin: general information".
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- In the event of combination with intermediate-acting insulin, always prepare the mix in the syringe immediately before administration and draw the short-acting insulin first, then the intermediate-acting insulin.
- By IV route, insulin has a very short half-life of around 5 minutes and the effect disappears within 30 minutes of injection.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
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