Skin complications related to insulin application: an exploratory study

Abstract

The study aims to determine the frequency and the type of skin complications related to insulin application, and associate gender, age and education level variables to the identified complications. This transversal study included one hundred insulin users and was carried out at a diabetes center located in Barbalha, Ceará. Data were collected through interviews and observation methods. Results show that 62% of the participants were women, 44% were elderly, 72% had type 2 diabetes, 38% had not finished primary school, 55% self-administrated insulin and 13% presented complications where insulin was injected. The most frequent complication was lipohypertrophy, detected in 54% of the patients. Age and education level were significantly associated with skin complications (p= 0.01 and p=0.006). We conclude that although the guidelines for insulin administration recommend changing the sites of injection, some mistakes still happen. It is necessary to review the strategies of health education adopted by the service and invest in training health professionals