Sterile Water for Injection USP 250 mL

Details

This is water, sterilized and packaged to injection standard, with nothing else in it. Its job is to reconstitute powdered medications and dilute concentrated ones where the product label calls for sterile water specifically. Tap water, distilled water from a jug, and boiled water are not substitutes: the point of this bottle is that it is sterile and free of particles and pyrogens. One thing every person handling it should know: sterile water for injection is not a fluid to give an animal by itself. Because it contains no salts, injecting it intravenously on its own destroys red blood cells. It only becomes safe to administer once it has been mixed with whatever it is meant to dilute, at the concentration that product's label specifies. If you need a fluid to give, you need saline or a balanced electrolyte solution instead — a different product entirely. Follow the label of the drug you are reconstituting for how much to add and how the mixed product should be stored and how long it lasts. Some reconstituted products are good for a day, some for weeks refrigerated, and some must be used immediately. Your veterinarian can tell you which is which for the products on your shelf. Wipe the stopper before each entry, use a fresh needle, and do not save a multiply-punctured bottle indefinitely. Discard it if it is cloudy, has particles, or the seal is broken. Store at room temperature away from frost and direct sun.