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A physician's written order for the person you are caring for is as follows: Insulin glargine (Lantus), 10 U, subQ QD. What changes would you suggest for safety and to avoid the use of "do not use" abbreviations?

User AlanPear
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Final answer:

To enhance safety, the physician's order for insulin should explicitly state 'subcutaneously' and 'once daily' instead of 'subQ' and 'QD.' Insulin glargine is important for blood sugar regulation, especially in type 1 diabetes, and the availability of human insulin is due to gene cloning technology.

Step-by-step explanation:

The physician's prescription 'Insulin glargine (Lantus), 10 U, subQ QD' is generally clear but could be enhanced for safety by avoiding abbreviations and providing explicit instructions. To improve the prescription, the recommendation would be to write out 'subQ' as 'subcutaneously' and 'QD' as 'once daily.' Additionally, it would be beneficial to specify the time of day the insulin should be administered if necessary for the patient's regimen and to ensure that the prescription aligns with best practices for insulin dosing.

Insulin injections, such as insulin glargine (Lantus), are critical for regulating blood sugar levels and are particularly vital for individuals with type 1 diabetes where the only treatment is through external insulin administration. Human insulin is now obtainable due to the advancement of gene cloning technology, which allows for the mass production of insulin using bacteria, thus greatly benefiting diabetic patients by providing a reliable source of insulin that is identical to that produced by the human body.

In summary, the revised prescription should be 'Insulin glargine (Lantus), 10 units, injected subcutaneously once daily', specifying any additional relevant details per the patient's diabetes treatment plan. Understanding the role of insulin injections and the biotechnology behind the production of human insulin supplements the explanation by underscoring both the clinical practice and scientific advancements in diabetes management.

User Joffrey Schmitz
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