3614-BD Insulin Adjust Workbook

Correcting for Blood Glucose
That is Out of Range
Know Your Blood Glucose Goals
In this workbook, the American Diabetes
Association (ADA) recommended premeal
blood glucose goals of 90 to 130
mg/dl will be used. If you are above 130
mg/dl, you will increase your insulin;
if you are less than 90 mg/dl you will
decrease the insulin. Many people use
a target of 100 and make adjustments
if they are above or below this target.
‘Correcting’ – The term used for an
immediate change in your insulin dose
based on one event, such as a:
• Single out-of-target blood glucose
level.
• Change in a single meal (you are
invited out to a French restaurant
for dinner).
• Change in your exercise routine
(you are going for a bike ride).
Correcting means you make a minor
change in your insulin dose based on the
event now, but go back to your usual
insulin dose tomorrow.
EXAMPLE:
If you wake up and your blood glucose
reading is 200 mg/dl but you want it to
be 100 mg/dl, you would make an
immediate insulin “correction.” To do
this you would take a certain dose of
short or rapid-acting insulin to bring that
blood glucose value down to 100 mg/dl.
NOTE:
Correction doses of insulin are calculated
for each person and may change
throughout the day. People usually
need a bigger correction dose at
breakfast than at lunch and dinner.
Methods of Correction – There are
many ways to correct for an abnormal
blood glucose value. The three most
common methods will be discussed here.
Check with your health care professional
to see which method is best for you.
Correction Method I – Fixed Insulin
Dose Based on Blood Glucose Value.
Uses an algorithm (formula) to tell you the
amount of insulin to take based on your
blood glucose levels before meals and at
bedtime. The carb you eat at each meal
should be the same from day to day.
EXAMPLE:
Ken’s Diabetes Team gives him an
algorithm of blood glucose values and
insulin doses. Ken will give the insulin
dose that corresponds to his current
blood glucose.
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