How to use saline solution correctly?

How can you tell if a bottle of saline solution (0.9% NaCl solution) is clean? Why can saline solution used for eye drops be used for nasal drops, but absolutely not the other way around?

Do not transfer saline solution from a large bottle to a smaller bottle for use as eye or nasal drops. (Photo: TTD)

Saline solution is a very common product for everyone. What types of saline solution are currently available on the market? How should each type be used to ensure good health?

Understanding saline solution correctly

Physiological saline solution is divided into two types:

Firstly, saline solution is used as a medication for internal use – that is, intravenous infusion, also known as saline solution. This medication is injected intravenously in large quantities, prepared under extremely strict sterile conditions.

Secondly, saline solution is formulated for external use in various forms: eye drops, nasal drops, ear drops, and as a solution for washing wounds and rinsing the mouth.

Users of medication should not arbitrarily mix saline solution and call it physiological saline for external use. This is because self-mixing may involve using unclean water and incorrect concentrations.

It's important to note that 0.9% NaCl solution is used as eye drops. However, you must use only 0.9% NaCl eye drops that have an eye icon and a registration number indicating it's a medicine. Absolutely do not use saline solution without a registration number and without an eye icon for eye drops.

Additionally, saline solution, which is typically used as eye drops, can be used for nasal drops, but under no circumstances should you use 0.9% NaCl nasal drops (labeled for nasal use) for eye drops. This is because eye drops are manufactured under specific, absolutely sterile conditions, similar to injectable medications.

Saline solution used for nasal drops can also be used for ear drops or as a wound cleansing solution.

What constitutes a standard and how should it be used?

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health sent a document to district/ward health departments and medical examination and treatment facilities in the city, announcing that the following products currently circulating on the market are domestically produced external-use medicines that must be registered with the Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health in accordance with regulations before they are allowed to be sold.

Because in the past, many manufacturing facilities registered the aforementioned products as cosmetic products rather than topical medicines.

Because it is not registered as a topical medication, many facilities produce physiological saline solution (0.9% sodium chloride solution) using "manual" methods in non-sterile production conditions, with some places producing it under very poor conditions.

This production facility was discovered with thousands of finished containers of saline solution, mixed by workers using only their hands, without the necessary protective equipment such as sterilized clothing, gloves, and masks.

The room, referred to as the mixing room, had a floor covered in runny water and dirt, looking very filthy, with tools scattered haphazardly. Notably, the tanks contained sodium chloride solution, which was stained yellow with scale.

If a product is called "medicine," then even if it's "for external use," careless and unsanitary preparation is unacceptable.

According to the aforementioned notice, for the products mentioned above, especially 0.9% sodium chloride, if they do not have a registration number for domestically produced topical medicine or are not registered as cosmetics, they are misleadingly labeled as domestically produced topical medicine and lack legal validity. Their circulation and use would be a violation of the law and would be subject to appropriate penalties.

Regarding proper usage, saline solution should only be used if it is intended for external use. As an external medication, saline solution must be manufactured by pharmaceutical companies that meet drug production standards, including sterility and colorlessness.

If manufactured domestically and marketed, it must be registered with the Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health (this number is printed on the label and packaging).

When buying saline solution, users should check the packaging and label for the registration number; if there is no registration number, it should not be purchased.

According to TTO