Management of diabetic ketosis and ketoacidosis with intramuscular regular insulin in a low-resource family medicine setting

Background: India is facing an epidemic of diabetes mellitus (DM). Effective management of complications of DM is a challenge in resource-poor areas of India. This study addresses the need to explore low-cost methods to manage diabetic ketosis (DK) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Objectives: To demonstrate the use of intramuscular (IM) regular insulin as a safe alternative method to control DK and DKA in a family practice setting. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was done for 34 patients admitted with DK and DKA in a family medicine unit for the urban poor over 5 years. Data on age, sex, precipitating factors, blood pressure, number of days of hospitalization, amount of insulin, and time required to control blood glucose (BG) and to correct acidosis were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS software version 17. Results: Administration of IM regular insulin was effective in reducing the BG to Conclusion: This study demonstrates that IM regular insulin is a safe alternative method in managing DK and DKA in a family medicine setting.