What immediate action should be taken for a patient on sliding scale insulin who has a blood glucose of 180 mg/dL?

Study for the UWorld Pharmacology Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

In this scenario, the appropriate immediate action for a patient on sliding scale insulin with a blood glucose level of 180 mg/dL is to administer 30 units of glargine and 2 units of regular insulin.

Sliding scale insulin allows for flexibility in managing blood glucose levels based on current readings. When a blood glucose level of 180 mg/dL is noted, it indicates that the patient's glucose is above the normal range, and a corrective dose of insulin is warranted to bring it back into a more appropriate range.

Glargine is a long-acting insulin that provides a baseline level of insulin throughout the day, helping to control blood glucose levels consistently. Regular insulin, being a short-acting insulin, can effectively manage acute elevations in blood sugar. The dosage of regular insulin is specifically determined based on the sliding scale that the healthcare provider has set for this patient. Thus, the administration of both glargine and regular insulin in the specified doses adheres to the plan of managing the patient's blood glucose effectively.

Options suggesting to hold the medication or mixing glargine with regular insulin in a single syringe do not align with recommended practices. Long-acting insulin should not be mixed with short-acting insulin because they are designed to act over different

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