Insulin NCLEX Quiz Questions

Long-acting insulin has an onset of 1 hour, meaning it starts working within an hour of administration. It does not have a peak time, which means it provides a steady release of insulin over a prolonged period without a spike in activity. The duration of long-acting insulin is 24 hours, making it suitable for maintaining a basal level of insulin throughout the day and night.

Rapid-acting insulin is the correct answer because it has an onset of 15 minutes, meaning it starts working within 15 minutes after injection. It also has a peak effect at around 1 hour, which is the time when it is most effective in lowering blood sugar levels. The duration of rapid-acting insulin is approximately 3 hours, indicating how long it remains active in the body. This type of insulin is typically used to cover mealtime blood sugar spikes and requires careful timing with meals.

Intermediate-acting insulin has an onset of 2 hours, meaning it starts working approximately 2 hours after injection. It reaches its peak effect at around 4 hours and has a duration of 16 hours, providing a longer-lasting effect compared to short-acting insulin. This type of insulin is commonly used to control blood sugar levels throughout the day and night, providing a more stable and sustained effect.

Short-acting insulin has an onset of 30 minutes, which means it starts working relatively quickly after administration. It reaches its peak effect within 2 hours, meaning it is most effective at lowering blood sugar levels during this time. The duration of short-acting insulin is 4 hours, indicating that its effects last for this duration before wearing off. Therefore, short-acting insulin is the correct answer given the provided onset, peak, and duration times.

Long-acting insulins should never be mixed with any other type of insulin. This is because long-acting insulins are designed to provide a steady release of insulin over an extended period of time, while other types of insulin have different durations of action. Mixing long-acting insulins with other insulins can alter their pharmacokinetics and lead to unpredictable effects on blood sugar control. Therefore, it is important to administer long-acting insulins separately and not mix them with any other type of insulin.

The correct way to mix NPR (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn) insulin with Regular insulin is to first inject air into the NPH insulin vial, then inject air into the Regular insulin vial. Next, draw up the desired amount of Regular insulin into the syringe and then draw up the desired amount of NPH insulin. This sequence ensures that the Regular insulin is drawn into the syringe first, followed by the NPH insulin.

Pre-mixed insulin is a combination of short-acting and intermediate-acting insulin. It is designed to provide both a rapid onset of action, which occurs within 30 minutes, and a longer duration of action, lasting up to 24 hours. This type of insulin is commonly used to manage blood sugar levels throughout the day and night, providing a balance between immediate and sustained insulin effects.

Regular insulin is a short-acting insulin that is typically injected before meals to control blood sugar levels. The onset of regular insulin refers to how quickly it starts to take effect, and it usually takes around 30-60 minutes for regular insulin to start working. The peak of regular insulin is when it is working at its maximum strength, and this usually occurs around 2-5 hours after injection. The duration of regular insulin refers to how long it remains active in the body, and it typically lasts for about 5-8 hours. Therefore, the correct answer is 30-60 mins, 2-5 hrs, 5-8 hrs.

The onset, peak, and duration of NPH insulin are 1-2 hours, 4-12 hours, and 18-24 hours respectively. This means that NPH insulin starts working within 1-2 hours after administration, reaches its peak effect between 4-12 hours, and lasts for a duration of 18-24 hours.

Humalog, Novolog, and Apidra are considered rapid-acting insulins. These insulins have a quick onset of action and are designed to mimic the body's natural insulin response after a meal. They are typically taken just before or immediately after meals to help control blood sugar levels. Regular (R) and NPH (N) insulins, on the other hand, have a slower onset and longer duration of action compared to rapid-acting insulins.

Regular (R), Humulin, and Novolin are short-acting insulins. Lantus and Lente (L) are long-acting insulins. Short-acting insulins have a rapid onset of action and a shorter duration of action, typically lasting for about 2-4 hours. They are used to control blood sugar levels after meals or to correct high blood sugar levels. Long-acting insulins, on the other hand, have a slower onset of action and a longer duration of action, providing a steady release of insulin over a longer period of time to maintain basal insulin levels throughout the day.

The long-acting insulins are Ultralente (U), Lantus, and Levemir. Regular (R) and Novolin are not long-acting insulins.

Lente (L) and NPH (N) are both intermediate-acting insulins. Intermediate-acting insulins have a slower onset of action and a longer duration compared to rapid-acting insulins like Regular (R), Humulin, and Novolog. Lente (L) and NPH (N) are commonly used to provide basal insulin coverage throughout the day and help control blood sugar levels between meals and overnight.

Lantus insulin has an onset of 1-1.5 hours, which means it starts working within this time frame after administration. It does not have a peak, meaning it does not reach a maximum concentration in the blood. The duration of Lantus insulin is 20-24 hours, indicating that it remains active and effective for this duration.

The onset, peak, and duration of Humalog insulin are 15-30 minutes, 0.5-1.5 hours, and 3-5 hours respectively. This means that Humalog insulin starts working within 15-30 minutes after administration, reaches its peak effect between 0.5-1.5 hours, and continues to work for 3-5 hours.