Insulin Storage in Heat and Load Shedding: Fridge Off and Travel (Video)

Transcript

Did you know insulin can lose strength in a single afternoon?

Did you know insulin can lose strength in a single afternoon?

Insulin & Summer Power Cuts

Learn how to keep insulin safe during summer power cuts, and stay for the single trick that saves your dose.

Heat can ruin insulin silently

Insulin is a protein that unravels with heat. A pen left in a car at noon can lose strength in an afternoon, yet it looks normal and injects fine, so rising sugar may surprise you.

Store unopened insulin

Store unopened pens, cartridges, and vials in their original box on the fridge door or middle shelf. Keep them away from the back wall and never put them in the freezer.

In-use pen storage

Once opened, keep the pen at room temperature, below about thirty degrees Celsius, for the number of days the manufacturer lists, usually twenty-eight. Write the opening date on the label and discard after that period.

Safe room temp

The safe upper limit for insulin at room temperature is about thirty degrees Celsius.

Days after opening

Most pens stay effective for twenty-eight days once opened, as the packaging indicates.

Fridge off during load shedding

If the power goes out, keep the fridge door shut. A full, closed fridge stays cool for several hours, especially if you tuck water bottles inside as extra cold stores.

Cheap cooling hacks

A simple clay-pot cooler works well in dry heat. Place a smaller pot inside a larger one, fill the gap with wet sand, cover with a wet cloth, and keep it in shade with airflow.

The one trick

When a load shed hits, the single most effective move is to seal the fridge, add a few chilled water bottles, and if you have time, shift the insulin box into an insulated cooler before it warms up.

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Read the full guide

Read the complete guide on thecareonline.com. This is general information, not medical advice.