U-500

Medical abbreviation · Drug

U-500
Stands for500 units per milliliter (concentrated regular insulin)
CategoriesMedical

U-500 stands for 500 units per milliliter (concentrated regular insulin), a drug abbreviation.

Highly concentrated human regular insulin (Humulin R U-500) used by people with severe insulin resistance who need more than about 200 units a day. One milliliter contains five times as much insulin as a standard U-100 product.

Example: Humulin R U-500 KwikPen 150 units before breakfast and lunch; use pen only.

Usage notes

U-500 is a high-alert medication; drawing it up with a U-100 syringe has caused fivefold overdoses. A dedicated U-500 syringe and pen were introduced in the mid-2010s to reduce conversion errors. Its time-action profile resembles a mix of regular and NPH insulin.

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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.