With Novolin 30/70, when is hypoglycemia most likely to occur?

With Novolin 30/70, when is hypoglycemia most likely to occur?

• A. Between 0.5-1 hours and 2-3 hours after administering the insulin
• B. Between 2-4 hours and 5-8 hours after administering the insulin
• C. Between 5-8 hours and 18 hours after administering the insulin
• D. After 18 hours following the administration of the insulin

Answer: (B)

Novolin 30/70 is a premixed insulin containing regular (short-acting) and NPH (intermediate-acting) insulin, so it has two action peaks. The regular component tends to peak about 2–4 hours after injection, raising the risk of hypoglycemia if meals or carbs don’t align with that effect. The NPH component peaks later, roughly around 6–12 hours after injection, adding another window of hypoglycemia risk. Because of these two peaks, the times when hypoglycemia is most likely are during the early peak of the regular insulin (about 2–4 hours) and into the later part of the day when the NPH effect is strongest (roughly 5–8 hours). The other time frames don’t align with the main peak periods, so they’re less likely to be when hypoglycemia occurs.

Novolin 30/70 is a premixed insulin containing regular (short-acting) and NPH (intermediate-acting) insulin, so it has two action peaks. The regular component tends to peak about 2–4 hours after injection, raising the risk of hypoglycemia if meals or carbs don’t align with that effect. The NPH component peaks later, roughly around 6–12 hours after injection, adding another window of hypoglycemia risk. Because of these two peaks, the times when hypoglycemia is most likely are during the early peak of the regular insulin (about 2–4 hours) and into the later part of the day when the NPH effect is strongest (roughly 5–8 hours). The other time frames don’t align with the main peak periods, so they’re less likely to be when hypoglycemia occurs.