How to use saline solution properly?

How to distinguish clean bottle of physiological saline (0.9% NaCl solution)? Why can physiological saline be used for eye drops and nose drops but never vice versa?

Do not transfer saline solution from a large bottle to a small bottle to use for eye or nose drops. Photo: TTD

Physiological saline is a very popular product for everyone. What types of physiological saline are currently on the market? How is each type used to ensure health?

Correct understanding of physiological saline

Physiological saline is divided into two types:

Firstly, saline solution is used as an internal medicine - that is, an intravenous infusion into the body, called infusion (seawater). This is a medicine that is injected into the veins in large quantities, prepared under extremely strict sterile conditions.

Second, physiological saline is prepared as external medicine with various types: eye drops, nose drops, ear drops and as a solution to wash wounds, rinse mouth...

People using medicine should not arbitrarily mix salt water and call it physiological saline for external use. Because self-mixing can use unclean water and incorrect concentration.

It should be noted that people use 0.9% NaCl solution as eye drops. But you must absolutely use a bottle of 0.9% NaCl eye drops that has an eye drawn on the packaging and a registration number indicating that this is a medicine. Absolutely do not use saline solution that does not have a registration number and does not have an eye drawn on it for eye drops.

In addition, physiological saline can be used as eye drops for nose drops, but absolutely do not use 0.9% NaCl nasal drops (bottle labeled for nose drops) for eye drops. Because eye drops are prepared in absolutely sterile conditions like injections.

Physiological saline solution used for nose drops can also be used for ear drops or as a wound cleaning solution.

What is standard and how to use it?

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health sent a document to district health departments, medical examination and treatment facilities in the city to notify that the products: 0.9% sodium chloride (physiological saline), 70-degree alcohol, 90-degree alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine alcohol currently circulating on the market are domestically produced external medicines that must be granted a registration number by the Department of Drug Administration - Ministry of Health according to regulations before being allowed to circulate on the market.

Because in the past, many manufacturing facilities have registered the above mentioned products as cosmetic products, not as external medicines.

Because it is not registered as a topical medicine, there are many facilities that produce physiological saline (0.9% sodium chloride solution) by "manual" methods in non-sterile production conditions, and some places produce it in very poor conditions.

This production facility was discovered with thousands of barrels of finished saline mixed by workers working by hand, without necessary protection such as sterilized clothes, gloves, and masks properly...

The so-called mixing room had a messy floor with running water, dirt and sand on it, and all sorts of tools mixed together. Notably, the sodium chloride water tanks were covered in yellow alum.

If the product is called "medicine", even if it is "external medicine", it is unacceptable to mix it carelessly and unhygienically.

Also according to the above announcement, with the above products, especially 0.9% sodium chloride, if there is no registration number for circulation as a domestically produced external medicine or registered as a cosmetic, these are products that cause confusion as domestically produced external medicine without legal status. If circulated and used, it is a violation of the law and will be handled appropriately.

Regarding proper use, only use saline if it is a topical medication. As a topical medication, saline must be prepared in pharmaceutical companies that ensure drug production conditions, including sterile conditions and being colorless and transparent.

If produced domestically and circulated on the market, it must be granted a registration number by the Department of Drug Administration - Ministry of Health (this number is printed on the label and packaging).

When buying saline solution, users must look at the packaging and label for the registration number. If there is no registration number, they should not buy it.

According to TTO