Saline (medicine)

Saline
Saline solution for intravenous infusion
Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.comFDA Professional Drug Information
License data
Routes of
administration		Intravenous, topical, subcutaneous
ATC code
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
Chemical and physical data
FormulaClNa
Molar mass58.44 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • [Na+].[Cl-]
  • InChI=1S/ClH.Na/h1H;/q;+1/p-1
  • Key:FAPWRFPIFSIZLT-UHFFFAOYSA-M

Saline (also known as saline solution) is a mixture of sodium chloride (salt) and water.[1] It has a number of uses in medicine including cleaning wounds, removal and storage of contact lenses, and help with dry eyes.[2] By injection into a vein, it is used to treat hypovolemia such as that from gastroenteritis and diabetic ketoacidosis.[2][1] Large amounts may result in fluid overload, swelling, acidosis, and high blood sodium.[1][2] In those with long-standing low blood sodium, excessive use may result in osmotic demyelination syndrome.[2]

Saline is in the crystalloid family of medications.[3] It is most commonly used as a sterile 9 g of salt per litre (0.9%) solution, known as normal saline.[1] Higher and lower concentrations may also occasionally be used.[4][5] Saline is acidic, with a pH of 5.5 (due mainly to dissolved carbon dioxide).[6]

The medical use of saline began around 1831.[7] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[8] In 2022, sodium salts was the 216th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[9][10]

  1. ^ a b c d "Sodium Chloride Injection - FDA prescribing information, side effects and uses". www.drugs.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d British national formulary : BNF 69 (69th ed.). British Medical Association. 2015. pp. 683, 770. ISBN 9780857111562.
  3. ^ Marini JJ, Wheeler AP (2010). Critical Care Medicine: The Essentials. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 54. ISBN 9780781798396. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Hypertonic Saline - FDA prescribing information, side effects and uses". www.drugs.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  5. ^ Pestana C (2000). Fluids and Electrolytes in the Surgical Patient. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 11. ISBN 9780781724258. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
  6. ^ Reddi BA (2013). "Why is saline so acidic (and does it really matter?)". International Journal of Medical Sciences. 10 (6): 747–750. doi:10.7150/ijms.5868. PMC 3638298. PMID 23630439.
  7. ^ Bozzetti F, Staun M, van Gossum A (2014). Home Parenteral Nutrition (2nd ed.). CABI. p. 4. ISBN 9781780643113. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
  8. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  9. ^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Sodium Salts Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.