bacteriostatic normal saline

Bacteriostatic normal saline is a sterile, non-pyrogenic solution containing 0.9% sodium chloride and 0.9% benzyl alcohol, the latter serving as a bacteriostatic preservative. While traditionally utilized as a sterile vehicle for diluting or dissolving drugs for injection, it is being investigated by Emory University as an alternative local anesthetic for intradermal anesthesia. In patients with chronic low back pain undergoing diagnostic lumbar medial branch blocks, bacteriostatic normal saline is used to create a skin wheal. The anesthetic properties are attributed to the benzyl alcohol component, which is an aromatic alcohol that exhibits local anesthetic effects by inhibiting nerve conduction. The primary clinical interest in this application is to determine if it provides comparable anesthesia to lidocaine while causing less injection-site discomfort (stinging or burning) during administration.

Other names

BNSbacteriostatic 0.9% sodium chloridebacteriostatic sodium chloride 0.9% injection