Regular Insulin Versus NPH Insulin for Continuous Enteral Tube Feeding in Hospitalized Patients

There is no standard insulin regimen for treating hyperglycemia in patients receiving continuous enteral tube feeding (TF) in the hospital setting. This study compared the use of regular insulin versus NPH insulin for this purpose. Glucose levels were significantly lower in the regular insulin group than in the NPH insulin group, as were the number of days with hyperglycemia or severe hyperglycemia. There were also fewer insulin injections with regular insulin than with NPH insulin. Thus, use of regular insulin yielded better glycemic control than the use of NPH insulin for covering continuous TF.

Key Points

· This retrospective analysis compared regular and NPH insulin for treating hyperglycemia in patient receiving continuous enteral tube feeding (TF) in the hospital setting.

· A regular insulin regimen provided better glycemic control with fewer injections compared with an NPH insulin regimen. Patients on NPH insulin required more correctional insulin.

Based on these findings, a regular insulin regimen for continuous TF coverage in the hospital setting is recommended. However, randomized controlled trials comparing these two insulin regimens are needed to validate these findings.