What should be done when mixing short acting and long acting insulin?

When mixing short-acting and long-acting insulin, the correct approach is to draw the short-acting insulin first. This is important because it helps to prevent contamination of the short-acting insulin with the longer-acting insulin. If the longer-acting insulin were drawn first, it could potentially introduce longer-acting insulin into the vial of short-acting insulin, which could alter the effectiveness and action profile of the insulin.

By drawing the short-acting insulin first, you ensure that the characteristics of each insulin remain intact, allowing for more accurate dosing and management of blood glucose levels. Additionally, using this method minimizes the risk of prolonged effects that might occur due to accidental mixing of the two types of insulin.

The other options, such as drawing the longer-acting insulin first, shaking the insulin bottles vigorously, or exclusively using pre-mixed insulins, do not align with the best practices for insulin administration. Shaking insulin can lead to the formation of bubbles or froth, which can affect dosage accuracy.