Insulin kinetics in hyperalimentation solution and routine intravenous therapy.

Using intravenous saline as a control, the kinetics of insulin in protein hydrolysate (hyperalimentation) solutions in glass bottles with and without the addition of albumin were studied using double radioisotope tags. Albumin is not a necessary additive to the solution. A technique for providing constant, predictable delivery of insulin is described. Albumin, when added to hyperalimentation and saline solutions with insulin, does not protectively coat plastic tubing or glass bottle surfaces to prevent insulin adsorption; some other mechanism is responsible for the increased insulin concentrations in intravenous solutions with added albumin.