December 7, 2017: Severe Hyperglycemia with Incorrect Use of Insulin Pen
The National Alert Network (NAN) in the United States recently issued a safety alert about a risk for severe hyperglycemia, based on several reports to ISMP (US) of patients failing to receive their insulin because of incorrect use of the insulin pen. The latest event resulted in a death, when a recently discharged patient did not know to remove the cap from the pen needle before attempting to administer her insulin. As a result, she did not receive the intended doses of insulin, diabetic ketoacidosis occurred, and the patient later died. This alert is being shared with Canadian readers because a similar risk may exist in Canada. Read more ...
