Insulin therapy in the hospital setting: a time for a change?

The number of people with diabetes mellitus worldwide is expected to be more than double from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030. Approximately 25% of all hospital inpatient days are affected by diabetes. In Italy there are more than 12,000 hospitalizations excesses for 100,000 people per year, with a huge economic impact. Ever since its discovery in the 1920s, insulin has been the milestone of type 1 diabetes treatment and its use is increasingly necessary for the successful management of type 2 diabetes. Often patients believe that injecting insulin can be painful, inconvenient and embarrassing; generally they are afraid of gaining weight and of hypoglycemia. On the other side, physician's concerns regarding insulin administration include potential dosing errors and patient non-compliance. Ever since its discovery in the mid-1920s, insulin was administered subcutaneously using a vial and syringe. In 1985 the first pen device was launched. Currently disposable insulin pens are the most used and preferred by patients in the daily use, but are not routinely used for diabetic inpatients. In this paper we will focus on the pros and cons of insulin administration with pens in the hospital setting.