IN YOUR OWN WORDS: saline versus sterile water

[emt seeking first job]

Please do not let another reply influence your response.

Articulate how you think of it.

An ambulance, in NYS, at least, has sterile water and saline.

Is saline considered sterile? Can you use it to flush an eye out ?

Under what circumstances would you personally use either one only or both.

Thank you in advance.

 

[jwk]

Please do not let another reply influence your response.

Articulate how you think of it.

An ambulance, in NYS, at least, has sterile water and saline.

Is saline considered sterile? Can you use it to flush an eye out ?

Under what circumstances would you personally use either one only or both.

Thank you in advance.

Of course it's sterile.

For eye irrigation, you should use saline if available.

 

[Sasha]

Sounds like a homework question

 

[usalsfyre]

Please do not let another reply influence your response.

Articulate how you think of it.

An ambulance, in NYS, at least, has sterile water and saline.

Is saline considered sterile? Can you use it to flush an eye out ?

Under what circumstances would you personally use either one only or both.

Thank you in advance.

Look up the tonicity of solutions and how it applies to the body. Your answer is there.

 

[emt seeking first job]

Sounds like a homework question

Do you get any other excercize aside from jumping to conclusions ?

 

[abckidsmom]

Sounds like a homework question

No, it's not a homework question...he just likes to ask every single question under the sun.

Saline is sterile. Water is sterile.

IMO, saline is for irrigating eyes and wounds. I usually just use those bottles of sterile water for people to have a sip when they are thirsty. It probably would be cheaper to use regular water bottles.

The only specific use for sterile water I can think of right off hand is pouring into waterseal devices on chest tubes, or bubbling oxygen through to humidify.

 

[emt seeking first job]

Look up the tonicity of solutions and how it applies to the body. Your answer is there.

I did some searching on key words, I found something about the saline in breast implants and being toxic to the vascular system in part because of bacteria that grows over time. However, the saline in an ambulance has an expiration date, I assuem to avoid that.

I read something about avoiding it for deep wounds.

I appreciate your intelligent reply.

This sort of popped in my head because my service mainly deals with transporting sick elderly people (who conisder us a neighborhood fixture) to an ER, which I am grateful to be a part of, I am trying to make up for my inexperience with trauma with self study and reviewing other people's thoughts.

My primary concern is a list of situations which to NOT use either the saline or the sterile water.

Can you suggest anyother keywords to search for aside from "toxicity saline" ?

 

[emt seeking first job]

No, it's not a homework question...he just likes to ask every single question under the sun.

Saline is sterile. Water is sterile.

IMO, saline is for irrigating eyes and wounds. I usually just use those bottles of sterile water for people to have a sip when they are thirsty. It probably would be cheaper to use regular water bottles.

The only specific use for sterile water I can think of right off hand is pouring into waterseal devices on chest tubes, or bubbling oxygen through to humidify.

Thank you for replying.

As far as asking every question under the sun, that is what an online forum is for. We make ourselves semi-anonymous and post all the questions we are afraid to ask.

Rememember the series of books in the 60s/70s, "EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT something or other BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK." ?

When I ride with my service, I only ask "what are we doing", while a call is happening. Otherwise, I just listen, I wait for a spontaneous utterance. Some experienced people enjoy randomly asking questions to people either individually or in a group.

Sometimes when people are arguing with each other over non-sense, fighting, rough housing, or criticizing other people out of ear shot, or they start watching porno, I suggest to one of those people that does it to start-up a session.

If I offend you by "asking every question under to sun" then just ignore my posts. When people ask about something I have some experience with, insurance, law enforcement, driver education, I offer a reply.

If you want be a "Nancy Drew" search my posts, I even revealed the interview questions/format at a private ambulance service that did not offer me a job because I froze up in the process. Someone here interviewed at the very same service, I told them what to expect, and they got the job.

I really do not care if you think I ask too many or too stupid a question. I never let psychological pressure affect what I do or think in real time, with people in the same room, and I certainly will not be influenced by it from someone miles away in an online forum.

I am me regardless of how I earn money or spend my free time. I have dealt with EMS people as a cop, as a family/friend or a patient, and as co-workers.

Once again, if I offend your personal sensibilities just do not reply. I am asking in an open thread. I am not emailing or private messaging anyone with my silly questions.

Once again, thank you for your reply and be safe out there.

 

[emt seeking first job]

No, it's not a homework question...he just likes to ask every single question under the sun.

Saline is sterile. Water is sterile.

IMO, saline is for irrigating eyes and wounds. I usually just use those bottles of sterile water for people to have a sip when they are thirsty. It probably would be cheaper to use regular water bottles.

The only specific use for sterile water I can think of right off hand is pouring into waterseal devices on chest tubes, or bubbling oxygen through to humidify.

Thank you for replying.

As far as asking every question under the sun, that is what an online forum is for. We make ourselves semi-anonymous and post all the questions we are afraid to ask.

Rememember the series of books in the 60s/70s, "EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT something or other BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK." ?

When I ride with my service, I only ask "what are we doing", while a call is happening. Otherwise, I just listen, I wait for a spontaneous utterance. Some experienced people enjoy randomly asking questions to people either individually or in a group.

Sometimes when people are arguing with each other over non-sense, fighting, rough housing, or criticizing other people out of ear shot, or they start watching porno, I suggest to one of those people that does it to start-up a session.

If I offend you by "asking every question under to sun" then just ignore my posts. When people ask about something I have some experience with, insurance, law enforcement, driver education, I offer a reply.

If you want be a "Nancy Drew" search my posts, I even revealed the interview questions/format at a private ambulance service that did not offer me a job because I froze up in the process. Someone here interviewed at the very same service, I told them what to expect, and they got the job.

I really do not care if you think I ask too many or too stupid a question. I never let psychological pressure affect what I do or think in real time, with people in the same room, and I certainly will not be influenced by it from someone miles away in an online forum.

I am me regardless of how I earn money or spend my free time. I have dealt with EMS people as a cop, an investigator, as a family/friend or a patient, and as co-workers.

Once again, if I offend your personal sensibilities just do not reply. I am asking in an open thread. I am not emailing or private messaging anyone with my silly questions.

Once again, thank you for your reply and be safe out there.

 

[Sasha]

He said tonicity not toxicity

 

[emt seeking first job]

He said tonicity not toxicity

Thank you.

 

[mycrofft]

Saline versus water?

I did some searching on key words, I found something about the saline in breast implants and being toxic to the vascular system in part because of bacteria that grows over time. However, the saline in an ambulance has an expiration date, I assuem to avoid that.

Saline tates too salty for me.
Interesting thought, does the medium (saline or whatever) in a mammary prosthetic "go bad", and if so, potential issues?

Let's see...first, those babies are supposedly quite tough to blunt force and will be further protected by anatomy and behavior. Good question for the forum would be if anyone's seen ruptured breast implants? Could be that the trauma sufficient to free the implant medium might be such that you would be busy saving their life and not worried about ruptures per se.

Second, yes, most if not all medical fluids (liquids or solids as powder) have an expiration date. Intersting to ask a pro about that aspect! Try googling a medical office that does them, and ask. (Might need to ask five or six to get an answer). Also ask the FDA? Questions might arise about where the impant was manufactured, counterfeit implants, and quality assurance in foreign manufacturers.

Third, saline loose in the system would be pretty innocuous versus silicone or other gels, assuming it has not picked up bacteria, or absorbed significant chemicals from the container it was in (the implant's "skin").

ANYWAY, SNS is supposedly better for irrigating wounds and eyes, etc., than water, I can tell you it feels better to me than regular water in the eyes, but in an emergency situation either is ok. Probabyl better for dropping an avulsed tooth into. The degree of hypotonicity of water versus serum, over the period of time you would be treating the pt in an urban or suburban setting, is not very significant. Far worse to allow burns or occular foreign objects to persist untreated at all, or to let an abrasion scab and scar over foreign objects needing a hard scrub later to remove.

 

[abckidsmom]

Thank you for replying.

As far as asking every question under the sun, that is what an online forum is for. We make ourselves semi-anonymous and post all the questions we are afraid to ask.

Rememember the series of books in the 60s/70s, "EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT something or other BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK." ?

When I ride with my service, I only ask "what are we doing", while a call is happening. Otherwise, I just listen, I wait for a spontaneous utterance. Some experienced people enjoy randomly asking questions to people either individually or in a group.

Sometimes when people are arguing with each other over non-sense, fighting, rough housing, or criticizing other people out of ear shot, or they start watching porno, I suggest to one of those people that does it to start-up a session.

If I offend you by "asking every question under to sun" then just ignore my posts. When people ask about something I have some experience with, insurance, law enforcement, driver education, I offer a reply.

If you want be a "Nancy Drew" search my posts, I even revealed the interview questions/format at a private ambulance service that did not offer me a job because I froze up in the process. Someone here interviewed at the very same service, I told them what to expect, and they got the job.

I really do not care if you think I ask too many or too stupid a question. I never let psychological pressure affect what I do or think in real time, with people in the same room, and I certainly will not be influenced by it from someone miles away in an online forum.

I am me regardless of how I earn money or spend my free time. I have dealt with EMS people as a cop, as a family/friend or a patient, and as co-workers.

Once again, if I offend your personal sensibilities just do not reply. I am asking in an open thread. I am not emailing or private messaging anyone with my silly questions.

Once again, thank you for your reply and be safe out there.

Not so defensive, ok?

You are the guy that asks a lot of questions, Brown is the guy that talks in the third person...everybody has a thing.

I thought I was just telling Sasha that you were asking a real question and that this wasn't a homework question, I didn't mean to strike such a nerve.

 

[emt seeking first job]

Not so defensive, ok?

You are the guy that asks a lot of questions, Brown is the guy that talks in the third person...everybody has a thing.

I thought I was just telling Sasha that you were asking a real question and that this wasn't a homework question, I didn't mean to strike such a nerve.

Thank you.

 

[emt seeking first job]

So I did a key word search :

http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=71940&start=24

I found this thread and I am reading through it now.

Any comments on anything there would be welcome.

 

[mycrofft]

What a reassuring link title!

Ever drink bottled water left in the sun or anywhere way past expiration? Nasty due to leached chemicals. Also, "sterile" does not mean "Absolutely free of any spores or organisms til the end of time"; it was prepared and pkged sterilely IAW applicable laws and standards.

 

[samiam]

I did some searching on key words, I found something about the saline in breast implants and being toxic to the vascular system in part because of bacteria that grows over time. However, the saline in an ambulance has an expiration date, I assuem to avoid that.

Saline tates too salty for me.
Interesting thought, does the medium (saline or whatever) in a mammary prosthetic "go bad", and if so, potential issues?

Let's see...first, those babies are supposedly quite tough to blunt force and will be further protected by anatomy and behavior. Good question for the forum would be if anyone's seen ruptured breast implants? Could be that the trauma sufficient to free the implant medium might be such that you would be busy saving their life and not worried about ruptures per se.

Second, yes, most if not all medical fluids (liquids or solids as powder) have an expiration date. Intersting to ask a pro about that aspect! Try googling a medical office that does them, and ask. (Might need to ask five or six to get an answer). Also ask the FDA? Questions might arise about where the impant was manufactured, counterfeit implants, and quality assurance in foreign manufacturers.

Third, saline loose in the system would be pretty innocuous versus silicone or other gels, assuming it has not picked up bacteria, or absorbed significant chemicals from the container it was in (the implant's "skin").

I have seen a case of ruptured implants It was quite humorous they were intended to drastically increase the size so the difference was quite obvious. The lady apparently tripped and fell against a wall and one slowly leaked out. The internal fluid flow was interesting too. I have heard of people having issues with them after car accidents.

 

[samiam]

That font is really really bigh34r:

 

[silver]

http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=71940&start=24

I found this thread and I am reading through it now.

Any comments on anything there would be welcome.

FYI that is the "best" forum ever...

One can spend hours looking and maybe laughing at their first aid section.

 

[medicstudent101]

Water is sterile.
Saline is sterile.
Can you use saline to flush out your eyes? Yes.
Would water be better? Probably.
Would saline hurt the eyes? No, It'd just dry them out a bit.