Name the three components of basal-bolus insulin therapy.

• A. Basal insulin, correctional insulin, bolus insulin
• B. Basal insulin, nutritional component prior to meals, correctional insulin
• C. Basal insulin, bolus insulin, correctional insulin
• D. Sliding-scale insulin, basal insulin, correctional insulin

Answer: (B)

Basal-bolus therapy is built to mimic normal insulin patterns by using three roles: a basal dose that provides a steady background insulin, a bolus dose at mealtimes to cover the carbohydrates you eat (the nutritional component prior to meals), and a correctional dose to bring glucose down if it’s higher than the target. Emphasizing the bolus as the meal-time, pre-meal insulin helps you see how the plan reacts to food intake, while the correctional dose handles hyperglycemia not directly tied to a specific meal. That focus makes describing the trio as basal insulin, nutritional component prior to meals (bolus), and correctional insulin the clearest way to name the components. Sliding-scale approaches aren’t part of the basal-bolus trio, which further distinguishes the correct framing.