I don't understand the difference (if one exists) between A bottle of pharmaceutical Sterile water labeled "Sterile Water for Irrigation, USP" vs pharmaceutical vials (like the ones made by Hospira) labeled "Sterile Water for Injection, USP".
I understand that Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol as a preservative/anti microbial agent, and I also understand that USP sterile water with NaCl is made to be isotonic with blood to prevent hemolysis, but what I don't understand is I'm looking at a small vial of sterile water that is intended for IV/IM use and it says "Sterile Water for Injection. Contains no anti microbial or other added substances. Sterile, Non-pyrogenic". So basically it is simply sterile H2O with nothing added to it.
And then I'm looking at the bottle of sterile water intended for irrigation and it says, "Sterile Water for Irrigation, USP. No anti microbial or other substances added. Sterile, Non pyrogenic".
So, is there any difference at all between these 2? Can the water intended for irrigation be used for IV/IM purposes with the same level of safety as the water intended for injection? According to the labels they are identical in composition-both are simply sterile, non pyrogenic H2O with nothing added.
I know injecting large volumes of water that is not isotonic with blood can cause hemolysis, but a few mL's of this water would not cause hemolysis, and regardless, both the irrigation water and injection water are both non-isotonic with blood....so again....WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE??
I understand that Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol as a preservative/anti microbial agent, and I also understand that USP sterile water with NaCl is made to be isotonic with blood to prevent hemolysis, but what I don't understand is I'm looking at a small vial of sterile water that is intended for IV/IM use and it says "Sterile Water for Injection. Contains no anti microbial or other added substances. Sterile, Non-pyrogenic". So basically it is simply sterile H2O with nothing added to it.
And then I'm looking at the bottle of sterile water intended for irrigation and it says, "Sterile Water for Irrigation, USP. No anti microbial or other substances added. Sterile, Non pyrogenic".
So, is there any difference at all between these 2? Can the water intended for irrigation be used for IV/IM purposes with the same level of safety as the water intended for injection? According to the labels they are identical in composition-both are simply sterile, non pyrogenic H2O with nothing added.
I know injecting large volumes of water that is not isotonic with blood can cause hemolysis, but a few mL's of this water would not cause hemolysis, and regardless, both the irrigation water and injection water are both non-isotonic with blood....so again....WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE??
