[Feasibility and acceptability of insulin therapy using a pen suitable for injecting regular or intermediate insulin. Results of the French multicenter study conducted by the Optipen-France Study Group].

Most of the commercially available insulin-pens are only suitable for regular insulin and have to be used in combination with syringe injections of long-acting insulin preparations. The aim of the french multicentric study is to estimate the clinical interest of a new insulin-pen (Optipen-Hoechst) with two main characteristics: the ability of a predetermination of the insulin dosage to be administered and the suitability for both regular, intermediate and pre-mixed regular (25%) and intermediate (75%) Hoechst insulin preparations. This new pen can so be used alone in all insulin regimen, consisting only of regular and/or intermediate insulin injection. Ninety five insulin treated patients, with at least two daily injections of these kinds of insulin, have been selected injection in a 8 weeks follow up study: After been included they were treated for two weeks by syringe injections of Hoechst insulin solutions (U40), equivalent to the former insulin preparations. Optipen was then used during 4 weeks to inject similar U100 insulin solution, without any other changes in diet and home blood glucose monitoring. Metabolic control was assessed by glycemic measurements, fructosamine and glycosylated hemoglobin determinations and remained unchanged all over the study. The acceptability of pen-treatment was excellent since 95% of the population decided not to return to syringe injections at the end of the study. Injections by mean of an Optipen are more convenient at home as well as outside. Further long term randomized studies are necessary to definite the clinical indications for Optipen use in insulin treated patient.