IN YOUR OWN WORDS: saline versus sterile water

medicstudent101 said:
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.
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FYI OSHA/FDA approved eyewash stations contain 0.9% NaCl Solution.

In my experience Saline is more soothing to wash out eyes because it is chemically closer to your own tears.

Via Wikipedia There are three different types of tears that all have slightly different formuals: Basal Tears (normal lubrication), Reflex Tears (you sprayed acid in my eyes owww it hurts) and Psychic Tears (crying tears.)

They all have different hormones and proteins but they all do contain sodium.

Cite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears
 
samiam said:
FYI OSHA/FDA approved eyewash stations contain 0.9% NaCl Solution.

In my experience Saline is more soothing to wash out eyes because it is chemically closer to your own tears.

Via Wikipedia There are three different types of tears that all have slightly different formuals: Basal Tears (normal lubrication), Reflex Tears (you sprayed acid in my eyes owww it hurts) and Psychic Tears (crying tears.)

They all have different hormones and proteins but they all do contain sodium.

Cite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears
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Cool cool. Like I said, either of the substances are more than appropriate for said situation.
 
Those sterile saline bullets used for nebs are the best for flushing eyes. Easy to manipulate, and if your patient is more comfortable flushing their own eyes (as I am, perhaps because I'm a contact-lens-wearer), you can just hand them 1 or 2 and they can easily do it themselves.
 
emt seeking first job said:
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" ?
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Check out this site. Very good info.
http://www.anaesthesiamcq.com/FluidBook/index.php
 
samiam said:
FYI OSHA/FDA approved eyewash stations contain 0.9% NaCl Solution.

In my experience Saline is more soothing to wash out eyes because it is chemically closer to your own tears.

Via Wikipedia There are three different types of tears that all have slightly different formuals: Basal Tears (normal lubrication), Reflex Tears (you sprayed acid in my eyes owww it hurts) and Psychic Tears (crying tears.)

They all have different hormones and proteins but they all do contain sodium.

Cite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply.

It makes 100% sense but without your reply I never would have thought about tears.
 
Lucid, I've been using those saline pillows for years.

Actually, decades.
Very fast, sterile, clean, and compact. Deliver the solution in low or high pressure, albeit in very small quantity, but three mls placed right, and "right now", can help prevent issues later.
Do not accidentally get the pillows with nebulizer medicine in them, though!:wacko:
 
Lucid, I've been using those saline pillows for years.

Actually, decades.
Very fast, sterile, clean, and compact. Deliver the solution in low or high pressure, albeit in very small quantity, but three mls placed right, and "right now", can help prevent issues later.
Do not accidentally get the pillows with nebulizer medicine in them, though!:wacko:


PS: no pun intended about "saline pillows", that's what they're called. (I just can't stay out of troubnle, sorry OP)
 
mycrofft said:
Do not accidentally get the pillows with nebulizer medicine in them, though!:wacko:
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Yeah I've almost done that and caught myself. From what I've seen, most of the saline bullets are pink and albuterol bullets clear or white.
 
We carry saline in 10ml snapoules and 1 litre bags

The snapoules are used to flush IV sites, eyes, clean and irrigate whereas we use the one litre bags for IV fluid and soaking wet dressings, sheets or pillow cases for burns (size dependant) but we also have glad wrap for burns, marvelous stuff.
 
MrBrown said:
We carry saline in 10ml snapoules and 1 litre bags

The snapoules are used to flush IV sites, eyes, clean and irrigate whereas we use the one litre bags for IV fluid and soaking wet dressings, sheets or pillow cases for burns (size dependant) but we also have glad wrap for burns, marvelous stuff.
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How do you flush IV sites with them do they screw on? Luer Lok?

I am feeling the need for a picture and or a step by step instructive video.
 
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I've seen those, am contemplating buying some for kits.

Troubles are money (cost) and expiration. In conjunction with the field kits for animal control officers, I'm suggesting they be trained to carry at least a liter of fresh potable water with them at all times (not just to drink, they'll use it up) for use in the field for eyes and wounds.
I don't think, in a first aid situation, that the trace compounds leached into bottled water from plastic containers would be as harmful as not rinsing when it is necessary, but I would not use it for oral hydration due to chance of initiating vomiting from the taste.
 
samiam said:
How do you flush IV sites with them do they screw on? Luer Lok?

I am feeling the need for a picture and or a step by step instructive video.
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We draw up the 10ml ina 10ml syringe, then pushed through

we also mix 9ml of saline with 1ml of morphine to make 10mg in 10ml in the same syringes.

We carry Sodium Chloride 0.9% but we also caryy small quantities of "Water for injection" which is used to dissolve and mix certain drugs such a Ceftriaxone as they dont mix with NaCl.

To the thread starter, it might be helpful if you look up isotonic, hypotonic, hypertonic, colloid and crystalloids.

Cheers
 
I love those little things. See picture below. We carry them for use with albuterol nebs (to dilute for peds, so it's 2.5g in 6mL, as opposed to 3mL).
88449.jpg

FcMUTe0sOrnrAOrwXhyFQMPyTGhO4R2S3nup-OyRmKk0ANVPLzqnhbKJHGNw_RLx9tSKRho8QG7K3WGz4ulGWGagcBgipXouIke9CZbbfKVp5qVUjeX_utSkEL8eHclcmrTxnF0RuxqMNCbW6jO6BRDtddIxAmGFxRgs8g1sYWw

CRD-5251.jpg


In case others haven't made this clear, the reason Saline is used for many medical applications is for it's salinity (0.9% NaCl), which matches the body's salinity ([nearly] isotonic). It's a crystalloid solution-- and when given intravenously is a volume expander.

Most contact lens solutions are simply saline with chemicals to rinse, disinfect, clean and store lenses.

Question for the RTs in the room: Some call the bullets above "Respiratory Saline". Why is this? What is added to make it fit for nebs?
 
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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.
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LOL Riddle me this Batman....how the :censored::censored::censored::censored: do bacteria get through a membrane that's not permeable to water molecules such as that in breast implants? Also, I'd like to see your source for that bit of information you're trying to pass along there about "toxic to the vascular system".

Question for the RTs in the room: Some call the bullets above "Respiratory Saline". Why is this? What is added to make it fit for nebs?
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Nothing. It's just regular old normal saline. It's just that it's not QCed to the same standards as the IV grade stuff.

We carry them for use with albuterol nebs (to dilute for peds, so it's 2.5g in 6mL, as opposed to 3mL
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You mean, 2.5 mg, right? ;)

BTW, in my experience diluting it is not a good way to give the medication in young kids. The pedi dose (for kids under 6-8 years) I've used most places is 1.25 mg of albuterol. That said, I've never seen a serious issue arise from giving a toddler or older child an adult dose.
 
I do like the tangents, it gets me thinking.

Yet I just want to write my original intention was a BLS discusion of external uses.

I was curious if there was a ever a situation NOT to use either.
 
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