RESUMO
Subcutaneous Insulin Pulse Therapy (SIPT) consists of administration of small doses of regular insulin hourly or two hourly in the subcutaneous tissue of anterior abdominal wall through a scalp vein needle. Fifteen Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) subjects, 8 males and 7 females with mean ages 58 +/- 8.7 years and mean duration of diabetes 11.7 +/- 9.1 years and mean BMI 25.2 +/- 5.64 were admitted for elective surgery. Glycemic control was attempted preoperatively with multiple pre-meal doses of Actrapid MC with a single injection of Monotard MC at bed time. The mean fasting plasma glucose in the 15 subjects with this insulin regimen was 321.28 +/- 69.32 mgm% and the insulin requirement per day was 106.87 +/- 35.77 units. The subjects were put on SIPT for 48 to 72 hours. During SIPT the mean fasting plasma glucose dropped to 123.2 +/- 74.11 mgm% and this marked decline in fasting plasma glucose value was statistically significant (P < .05). The insulin requirement during SIPT was 96.42 +/- 31.36 units, similar to the previous regimen (NS). The subjects were switched back to conventional insulin therapy after SIPT during which period the mean fasting plasma glucose was 125.82 +/- 34.50 mgm% and this value was again significantly lower than the pre SIPT fasting plasma glucose value (P < .05). Insulin requirement during conventional insulin therapy after SIPT was reduced to 71 +/- 21.89 units/day. This dose was significantly lower than the insulin dose administered during SIPT (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)