MONCTON, N.B. - Researchers will try to develop new ways to manage insulin therapy for hospitalized patients with diabetes in New Brunswick.
The province and pharmaceutical companies will spend $250,000 dollars over the next two years to create and implement insulin order sets.
The project is aimed at ending the use of sliding scales for determining insulin therapy, which can lead to uneven sugar control.
The sliding scale approach involves giving patients insulin in response to high blood glucose levels.
But doctors say it can result in health risks and longer hospital stays.
It's estimated about one in 10 New Brunswickers and 20 per cent of all hospitalized patients in the province have diabetes.
Dr. Jan Hux of the Canadian Diabetes Association is praising the project and says poor blood glucose control is common in hospitalized patients.
