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Can anyone help us about insulin stability especialy in tropical conditions?
Where can we find studies about this issue ?
Hmm, I have no idea about the stability of insulin in tropical areas.
However I have treated patients with insulin in northern Namibia who
lived in traditional homes (without refigerators or electricity for that
matter) with monthly followup dates.
My impression was always that it is not so much a function of cooling
the stuff but of educating the patient or family.
Here is what MEDLINE digs up :-)-O
Am J Hosp Pharm 1991 Dec;48(12):2631-2634
Stability and sterility of biosynthetic human insulin stored in plastic insulin
syringes for 28 days.
Tarr BD, Campbell RK, Workman TM
The stability and sterility of biosynthetic human insulin products
stored at refrigerator and room temperatures in two types of plastic
syringes and the stability of preservatives in the products were
studied. Four types of biosynthetic human insulin were used: regular,
isophane, combination, and extemporaneously prepared
combination. Samples (0.4 mL) were withdrawn from multiple-dose vials
into 39 polypropylene and 39 propylene-ethylene copolymer
syringes. Three syringes of each type were analyzed immediately; the
remaining syringes were stored in plastic bags, half at room
temperature (23 degrees C) and half in the refrigerator (4 degrees
C). A vial of each type of insulin was maintained under similar
conditions. At days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28, samples from each syringe
were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography for insulin
potency and m-cresol and phenol concentrations. Samples of each
product were also tested for sterility after 1, 2, and 4 weeks of
storage at 4 degrees C and 23 degrees C. The potency of insulin in
each of the biosynthetic human insulin products did not change
significantly during the 28-day study in both types of plastic
syringes and at both temperature settings. m-Cresol concentrations
decreased in all samples; greater decreases occurred in samples stored
at room temperature and in samples stored in polypropylene
syringes. Phenol concentrations were less affected than m-cresol
concentrations; greater decreases occurred in samples stored at room
temperature. No significant decreases in insulin potency or m-cresol
or phenol concentrations occurred in control samples stored in vials
kept under similar conditions.
greetings, el
Dr Eberhard W Lisse
<el@linux.lisse.na>
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