Is insulin subcutaneous or intradermal

Insulin is injected into the inner layer of the skin just like an intradermal injection, directly into the skin and into the blood vessels. When injecting insulin, you should pay attention to the types of insulin that can be used. There are many animal insulins and various types. Insulin will be controlled and analyzed according to the duration of the efficacy and the speed of the drug. Therefore, when using insulin, it needs to be approved by professionals.

Main types

Classification by source

1. Animal insulin: extracted from the pancreas of pigs and cows. Both have the same medicinal effects, but compared with human insulin, there is one different amino acid in pig insulin and three different amino acids in bovine insulin, which makes it easy to produce antibodies.

2. Semi-synthetic human insulin: Semi-synthetic human insulin is produced by replacing the 30th alanine in porcine insulin with the same threonine as human insulin.

3. Biosynthetic human insulin (the most commonly used insulin in clinical practice at this stage): High-purity biosynthetic human insulin is obtained using bioengineering technology. Its amino acid sequence and biological activity are exactly the same as those of the human body's own insulin.

Classification by duration of efficacy

1. Ultra-short-acting: takes effect 15 minutes after injection, with peak concentration lasting 1 to 2 hours.

2. Short-acting (rapid-acting): It takes effect 30 minutes after injection, reaches peak concentration in 2 to 4 hours, and lasts for 5 to 8 hours.

3. Intermediate-acting (low-protamine zinc insulin): takes effect 2 to 4 hours after injection, reaches peak concentration in 6 to 12 hours, and lasts for 24 to 28 hours.

4. Long-acting (protamine zinc insulin): takes effect 4 to 6 hours after injection, reaches peak concentration in 4 to 20 hours, and lasts for 24 to 36 hours.

5. Premix: The short-acting and medium-acting drugs are premixed and can be injected once. They take effect quickly (30 minutes) and last up to 16 to 20 hours.

The two most common types on the market are premixes with 30% short-acting and 70% medium-acting, and premixes with 50% short-acting and 50% medium-acting each.