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Patient handout

Type 1 diabetes (chronic outpatient — pediatric + adult)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for type 1 diabetes (chronic outpatient — pediatric + adult). Your care team identified this based on: hba1c ≥6.5% / random glucose ≥200 with symptoms / 2-h ogtt ≥200 / fasting ≥126 (ada 2026 §2).

Other reasons your team may use this plan: polyuria + polydipsia + weight loss + fatigue ± nocturnal enuresis (ada 2026 §2; ispad 2022); positive gad65 / ia-2 / znt8 / insulin autoantibody (ada 2026 §2; ispad 2022); low c-peptide with hyperglycemia — t1 phenotype (ada 2026 §2).

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
insulin glargineTDD 0.4-0.8 U/kg/day (peds 0.5-1.0 U/kg/day in honeymoon; up to 1.5 U/kg/day in puberty); 50% as basal once dailySConce daily (or BID for U-100 if duration <24 h)Long-acting analog basal; onset 1–2 h, no pronounced peak, duration 20–24 h. Intensive glycaemic control ↓ retinopathy 76% (95% CI 62–85), nephropathy 39–54%, neuropathy 60% (DCCT, PMID 8366922); long-term any-CVD ↓30% (7–48) at 30 y (DCCT/EDIC, PMID 26861924). ADA 2026 §7; ISPAD 2022
insulin degludec50% of TDD as basal once dailySConce dailyOnset 1 h, flat PK, duration >42 h. SWITCH-1: overall symptomatic hypo RR 0.89 (0.85–0.94), nocturnal RR 0.64 (0.56–0.73), severe hypo 10.3% vs 17.1% (RD −6.8%, −10.8 to −2.7) vs glargine U-100 (PMID 28672316); DEVOTE severe-hypo RR 0.60 (PMID 28605603); ADA 2026 §7
insulin lispro50% of TDD divided across meals; ICR ≈ 500/TDD; CF ≈ 1800/TDDSCbefore meals (or 5-15 min before for ultra-rapid)Prandial component; onset 15 min, peak 1–2 h, duration 3–5 h (CF 1800/TDD with rapid analog, 1500/TDD with regular insulin) (ADA 2026 §7; ISPAD 2022)
insulin aspartSame as lisproSCbefore mealsEquivalent prandial (ADA 2026 §7)
insulin glulisineSame as lisproSCbefore mealsEquivalent prandial (ADA 2026 §7)
faster aspart (insulin aspart fast)Same as standard rapidSC0-2 min before or 20 min after meal startFaster onset for tighter post-prandial control; pediatric flexibility (ADA 2026 §7; ISPAD 2022)

Plan: T1DM basal-bolus insulin regimen (MDI) — peds + adult

3. Your action plan

Use these zones to know what to do based on how you feel.

GREENDoing well — glucose 70-180 mg/dL, no ketones, feeling well
If you have:
  • Glucose 70-180 mg/dL (ADA 2026)
  • No symptoms of hypo or hyper (ADA 2026)
  • Eating + drinking normally (ADA 2026)
  • Time-in-range >=70% (Danne 2017; ADA 2026)
Do this:
  • Continue routine insulin basal + meal boluses with carb counting (ADA 2026)
  • Continue CGM / SMBG schedule (ADA 2026)
  • Continue routine carb intake and physical activity (ADA 2026)
  • Keep follow-up appointments (ADA 2026)
  • Confirm glucagon supply not expired and accessible (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
YELLOWCaution — sick day OR glucose 70 → low / hyperglycaemia / mild ketones
If you have:
  • Illness — fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, viral / bacterial infection (ISPAD 2022)
  • Glucose >=250 mg/dL OR <70 mg/dL with symptoms (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
  • Ketones 0.6-1.5 mmol/L (ISPAD 2022)
  • Pump site failure / line air bubble suspected (ISPAD 2022)
Do this:
  • NEVER stop basal insulin — even when not eating (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
  • Check ketones if glucose >=250 mg/dL OR ill (ISPAD 2022; ADA 2026)
  • If glucose <70: rule of 15 — 15-20 g fast carbs juice glucose tabs recheck in 15 min repeat if still <70; in peds use 0.3 g/kg max 15 g (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
  • If glucose >=250 + ketones 0.6-1.5: give correction dose with rapid-acting per CF; encourage water; recheck glucose + ketones in 2 h (ISPAD 2022)
  • Hydration: water or sugar-free fluids if hyperglycaemic; sugar-containing fluids if normo / hypo and unable to eat (ISPAD 2022)
  • Continue close monitoring q2-4h (ISPAD 2022; ADA 2026)
  • Contact diabetes team if not improving in 4-6 h (ISPAD 2022)
Call your provider if:
  • Ketones rising or persistently >0.6 mmol/L (ISPAD 2022)
  • Vomiting persists (ISPAD 2022)
  • Pump failure unable to resolve (ISPAD 2022; ADA 2026)
  • Glucose persistently >300 mg/dL despite correction (ISPAD 2022)
  • Recurrent hypoglycaemia (ADA 2026)
REDMedical alert — DKA risk OR severe hypoglycaemia
If you have:
  • Ketones >=3 mmol/L OR pH <7.30 if measured OR HCO3 <15 (ISPAD 2022)
  • Vomiting + glucose >=250 + ketones (ISPAD 2022)
  • Drowsiness, deep / fast breathing Kussmaul, abdominal pain, fruity breath (ISPAD 2022)
  • Severe hypoglycaemia: unable to swallow, seizure, loss of consciousness (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
  • Glucose <54 mg/dL with confusion / agitation (ADA 2026)
Do this:
  • For DKA: call 911 / go to ED immediately; continue basal insulin; sip water if able; bring glucose meter + CGM data + insulin list (ISPAD 2022; ADA 2026)
  • For severe hypoglycaemia: caregiver gives glucagon — IM 0.5 mg <25 kg / <6 yr or 1 mg >=25 kg OR nasal glucagon 3 mg OR dasiglucagon 0.6 mg autoinjector — call 911 (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
  • Place patient in recovery position if unconscious; do not give oral food / drink (ADA 2026)
  • Recheck glucose in 15 min; repeat glucagon once if no response (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)
  • After recovery, give 15-20 g long-acting carbs + protein (ADA 2026)
Call your provider if:
  • Any red zone event — ED + diabetes team within 24 h (ADA 2026; ISPAD 2022)

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • Hyperglycaemia + ketones ≥3 mmol/L + acidosis — pH <7.30 / HCO3 <15 (ISPAD 2022)(life-threatening)
  • Severe hypoglycaemia with seizure / loss of consciousness / inability to swallow (ADA 2026 §7; ISPAD 2022)(life-threatening)
  • Recurrent hypoglycaemia with loss of warning symptoms (ADA 2026 §7)
  • Pump alarm, site failure, no insulin delivery suspicion, or rapid hyperglycaemia + ketones in pump user (ISPAD 2022)
  • Patient deliberately omitting insulin for weight control (diabulimia) — recurrent DKA, weight loss, A1c >9% (ADA 2026 §5)
  • Pregnancy or planning, A1c >7% or out-of-range time elevated (ADA 2026 §15)

5. Follow-up

Continued education, technology upgrades, mental health, reproductive counselling, transition — adolescent to adult care (ADA 2026 §14; ISPAD 2022), vaccinations (ADA 2026 §4)

6. Sources

Guideline: ADA Standards of Care in Diabetes 2026 (Diabetes Care 49 Suppl 1; AID-preferred Rec 7.25a, no-prereq Rec 7.8a, CGM-at-onset Rec 7.15) + ISPAD 2022/2024 + ATTD/Battelino time-in-range consensus + DCCT/EDIC long-term outcomes

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8366922
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16371630
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26861924