• Active Ingredient: 9 mg/mL sodium chloride (0.9%) in water for injection.

• Preservative: 0.9% (9 mg/mL) benzyl alcohol, which stops bacteria from growing after repeated needle punctures in multi-dose vials.

• pH Level: Approximately 5.0 (ranging from 4.5 to 7.0).

• Osmolality: Isotonic (same salt balance as normal body fluids), unlike plain bacteriostatic water which can cause red blood cell breakdown (lysis) if injected directly into a vein. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Bacteriostatic Sodium Chloride (Preserved Saline) Primary Uses

• Medication Dilution & Reconstitution: Used as a sterile diluent or solvent to dissolve or dilute powdered/lyophilized medications for intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), or subcutaneous (SC) injection. [1, 2]

• Multi-Dose Vials: Designed for applications requiring multiple withdrawals from the same vial over an extended period (typically packaged in 10 mL, 20 mL, or 30 mL multi-dose plastic vials). [1, 2]

Important Safety Warnings & Contraindications

• Neonates and Infants: Do not use in newborns or infants. The benzyl alcohol preservative is linked to severe and fatal toxicity (including “gasping syndrome”) in newborns. Use preservative-free 0.9% sodium chloride instead. [1, 2, 3]

• Epidural or Intrathecal Use: Contraindicated for epidural or intrathecal administration due to the presence of benzyl alcohol. [1]

• Cardiovascular & Kidney Conditions: Use with caution in patients with congestive heart failure, severe kidney dysfunction, edema, or those taking drugs that cause sodium retention. [1]

• Preservative Incompatibilities: Not suitable for medications that explicitly require preservative-free normal saline as a solvent. [1]