The recommendations are based on findings from the largest ever survey of insulin-using patients on their injection techniques. The survey garnered responses from more than 13,200 insulin-injecting patients from 42 countries and found:
- Patients often use needles that are too long and too thick, and also reuse the needles.
- One-third of respondents have developed nodules in the fat tissue of their injection sites due to incorrect rotation of injection sites. These nodules blunt the absorption of insulin.
Experts at the Forum for Injection Technique & Therapy Expert Recommendations workshop, sponsored by BD, developed new recommendations as a result of those findings. The new FITTER recommendations include:
- Use the shortest available pen needle or syringe needle for all injecting patients
- Use correct rotation of injection sites
- Use only one-time pen needles and syringes
“Tools are embedded in these publications, which will allow patients and professionals to quickly translate them into everyday practice,” said Dr. Kenneth Strauss, co-author and medical director of BD Europe. “If these recommendations become routine practice, we should soon see the improved outcomes that come from optimized insulin delivery.”
