Insulin therapy suitability for patients with hyperglycemia and home medicine cabinet management

Medication Use and Contraindications for Hyperglycemia Patients

Understanding Insulin Indications: While the word "insulin" is familiar to diabetic patients, many are unfamiliar with its indications. Insulin indications are as follows:

(1) Insulin therapy is recommended for diabetic patients with significant weight loss, malnutrition, and delayed growth and development. If accompanied by chronic wasting diseases such as tuberculosis, it must be combined with anti-tuberculosis treatment.

(2) Insulin therapy is the best choice for pregnant women with diabetes or gestational diabetes.

(3) Insulin therapy is recommended for diabetic patients with vascular complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, cirrhosis, neuropathy, or lower limb gangrene.

(4) Insulin therapy is required for pituitary diabetes, pancreatic diabetes, and secondary diabetes.

(5) Insulin therapy is most effective for diabetic patients with hyperosmolar coma or lactic acidosis.

(6) For insulin-dependent diabetes, continuous insulin therapy is required regardless of the presence or absence of ketoacidosis. (7) Non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients who develop ketoacidosis due to stress, injury, infection, surgery, or acute myocardial infarction should also choose insulin therapy. Insulin can be discontinued as the stress response subsides and the condition improves.

(8) Insulin therapy can be used for diabetic patients whose blood sugar is not satisfactorily controlled by diet and oral hypoglycemic agents.

Preparing a Home Medicine Kit: Having a home medicine kit is essential for both health maintenance and treatment. To scientifically and rationally prepare and use a home medicine kit, the following points should generally be considered:

First, categorize medications.

Clearly classify your medications to ensure they are neat and easy to understand. For example, separate adult and pediatric medications, oral and topical medications, and emergency and regular medications. Clearly label each medication so that it is easy to find when needed, preventing adverse effects such as accidentally taking the wrong medication in an emergency.

External medications should be clearly labeled in red. External medications may be irritating, corrosive, or toxic, and therefore should not be taken internally. Toxic medications should be stored with extra care, kept under lock and key to prevent accidental ingestion by children.

Secondly, store medications in a cool, dry place.

Medications should be stored in a dry, dark place with low temperatures. Medications that should be stored in airtight containers should be placed in sealed bottles and not in paper bags or boxes, as this can cause oxidation or deliquescence during prolonged storage. For example, yeast tablets are prone to swelling and crumbling when exposed to moisture; liver extract tablets, compound licorice tablets, vitamin B₁ tablets, iodine throat lozenges, and various capsules, softgels, and sugar-coated tablets are prone to sticking together when damp. Aspirin can deteriorate due to moisture, increasing its irritation to the stomach. Iodine tincture, alcohol, and various medicinal wines are prone to evaporation and loss of effectiveness. Therefore, it is clear that proper storage of medications is extremely important. Tetracycline eye drops, insulin, and placental globulin must be stored at low temperatures.

Special care must be taken when packaging and storing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations, as most are susceptible to moisture damage and prone to mold and insect infestation in hot weather. Honey pills should not be stored for extended periods; they should be kept in a well-ventilated, dry, and cool place.

Third, medicines should not be mixed.

If you purchase a certain type of bulk medicine and have run out of another medicine, it's a mistake to simply put the bulk medicine into the empty bottle for convenience. This can easily lead to confusion or incorrect dosage. However, the original empty bottle is not unusable; if you must use it, the label must be changed strictly according to the actual name of the medicine to ensure safety.

Fourth, the purchase date and medicine name must be clearly marked.

For medicines purchased for storage, the outer packaging must be preserved, and the medicine name must be clear and correct. For medicines without labels, the name, purpose, usage, dosage, precautions, and expiration date should all be clearly marked.

If you purchase bulk medicines without their original packaging and the production date cannot be determined, the purchase date should be marked on the medicine bag. This allows you to estimate the expiration date when using the medicine later. At the same time, the name of the medicine should be clearly labeled on the bag of bulk medicine for easy use.

Fifth, the dosage of medicine should be tailored to the individual.

Sixth, medicines should be kept out of reach of children.

If there are young children in the household, the medicine cabinet should be placed out of their reach to prevent accidental ingestion and potential danger.

Seventh, medicines should be replaced and replenished in a timely manner.

The medicine cabinet should be checked regularly. If any stored tablets or pills are found to be moldy, stuck together, spoiled, loose, discolored, or have an unusual odor, or if liquid medicine shows signs of flocculation, sedimentation, or evaporation and concentration, they should be discarded immediately and replaced with new medicine.

By following these principles, the home medicine cabinet will be more convenient for diabetic patients and will not have the opposite effect, avoiding any accidental harm.