title: The use of an insulin bolus in low-dose insulin infusion for pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis.
abstract: The use of an initial bolus of insulin prior to the initiation of low-dose insulin infusion therapy was evaluated in 56 episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in 38 children. The cases were randomly assigned to a group that received a bolus of insulin (n = 24) and to a group that did not (n = 32). After the first hour of insulin therapy, the decline in serum glucose level and the changes in serum osmolality were statistically similar in the two groups, regardless of the degree of acidosis. The time required to reach a serum glucose level of less than 250 mg/dl and the total duration of insulin infusion likewise were similar in the two groups. The use of a bolus of insulin at the onset of treatment for DKA appears unnecessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City 84103.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bolte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin