Bacteriostatic Water for Injection
Dosage form: injection, solution
Drug class:Sterile irrigating solutions
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 1, 2021.
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DESCRIPTION
The following preparation is designed solely for parenteral use only after addition of drugs that require dilution or must be dissolved in an aqueous vehicle prior to injection.
Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP is a sterile, nonpyrogenic preparation of water for injection containing 0.9% (9 mg/mL) or 1.1% (11 mg/mL) benzyl alcohol added as a bacteriostatic preservative. It is supplied in a multiple-dose container from which repeated withdrawals may be made to dilute or dissolve drugs for injection. The pH is 5.7 (4.5 to 7.0).
Water for Injection, USP is chemically designated H2O.
The semi-rigid vial is fabricated from a specially formulated polyolefin. It is a copolymer of ethylene and propylene. The safety of the plastic has been confirmed by tests in animals according to USP biological standards for plastic containers. The container requires no vapor barrier to maintain the proper labeled volume.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Water is an essential constituent of all body tissues and accounts for approximately 70% of total body weight. Average normal adult daily requirement ranges from two to three liters (1.0 to 1.5 liters each for insensible water loss by perspiration and urine production).
Water balance is maintained by various regulatory mechanisms. Water distribution depends primarily on the concentration of electrolytes in the body compartments and sodium (Na+) plays a major role in maintaining physiologic equilibrium.
The small volume of fluid provided by Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP when used only as a pharmaceutic aid for diluting or dissolving drugs for parenteral injection, is unlikely to exert a significant effect on fluid balance except possibly in very small infants.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
This parenteral preparation is indicated only for diluting or dissolving drugs for intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, according to instructions of the manufacturer of the drug to be administered.
