Forum for Injection Techniques India (FIT India), in association with Becton, Dickinson & Co. (BD India), a global medical technology company has now unveiled the first-ever India-specific clinical recommendations for best practices in insulin injection technique in Bengaluru.

The recommendations have been put together by a scientific advisory board comprising endocrinologists and diabetologists. These include the optimum size of the needle, need for site rotation, educating the patients about avoiding reuse of needles, and training them for lipohypertrophy which is a lump under the skin caused by the accumulation of extra fat at the site of many subcutaneous injections including insulin. It also covered the safety aspects and identification of proper injection sites.

Correct insulin injection technique is critical for optimal control of diabetes. Improper use or reuse of injection devices may lead to undesirable consequences including pain with bleeding and bruising, the needles breaking off and lodging under the skin, contamination.

According to Dr KM Prasanna Kumar, former head of Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, MS Ramiah Medical College, Bengaluru, and the CEO of the Bengaluru Diabetes Centre, “The recommendations by FIT India will help optimize insulin injection technique in diabetes and be of immense help for healthcare workers and patients alike. They will improve the acceptance of insulin delivery and injections, thereby ensuring improved glycemic controls and better health outcomes for diabetes patients.”

“In India, there is a psychological resistance to the initiation of insulin therapy even though it is considered one of the best and most dependable treatment options in diabetes management. It is important to get the injection technique right to regulate patient’s glycemic control. This is where these India-specific recommendations would be helpful for diabetic patients,” he added.

India is facing a diabetes epidemic. WHO predicts that by 2025, the country will account for half of the world’s diabetic patients. The disease has become a significant issue for Karnataka too. According to figures by the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-vascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), about 10.2 per cent of people in the state suffer from diabetes compared to the national average of seven per cent. In the slums of Bengaluru, the incidence of diabetes is as high as 14.7 per cent.

“Insulin administration is the most effective method for blood glucose control, but inappropriate injection techniques can compromise the effectiveness of the therapy. The FIT insulin injection recommendations are a timely initiative in India which will bring great benefit to patients and will help us to continue improving patients’ experience with insulin injection,” said Vishal Taneja, director- BD Medical-Diabetes Care.

FIT is an autonomous organisation established following the Third International Injection Technique Meet in Athens in 2009.