What is saline solution?

In life, many people often use normal saline solution. For example, using it to wash the nose can effectively relieve rhinitis, and it can also be used for atomization of some diseases. However, many people do not understand the principles and concepts of normal saline solution well, which can easily lead to misunderstandings. This situation will have a serious impact on the treatment of some diseases. So what is normal saline solution? Let's take a look.

First, what is normal saline? Normal saline refers to a sodium chloride solution commonly used in physiological experiments or clinical practice, whose osmotic pressure is basically equal to the osmotic pressure of animal or human plasma. Concentration: 0.67-0.70% for amphibians and 0.85-0.9% for mammals and humans. The concentration of sodium chloride injection that people usually use for intravenous drips is 0.9%, which can be used as normal saline. Its osmotic pressure is similar to that of human blood, and its sodium content is also similar to that of plasma, but its chloride content is significantly higher than that in plasma. Therefore, normal saline is only relatively physiological, and its purpose is to supply electrolytes and maintain the tension of body fluids. It can also be used externally, such as cleaning wounds or changing dressings. 0.9% sodium chloride solution (i.e. normal saline) can maintain the normal morphology of cells.

Second, normal saline is also called sterile saline solution. Its English abbreviation is SPSS, and its full English name is stroke-physiological saline solution. [1] Normal saline is a 0.9% sodium chloride aqueous solution. Because its osmotic pressure is roughly the same as that of normal human plasma and tissue fluid, it can be used for fluid replacement (without lowering or increasing the sodium ion concentration in the normal human body) and for other medical purposes. It is also often used for in vitro culture of living tissues and cells. It is the concentration of the liquid environment in which human cells are located. Sodium chloride: commonly known as salt, table salt (without iodine).

What is normal saline? It can prevent cells from rupturing. Its osmotic pressure is the same as that outside the cells, so it will not cause cells to become dehydrated or absorb excessive water. Therefore, it is used in many medical operations where liquids are needed. It is the concentration of the liquid environment in which human cells live. In order to correct dehydration and acidosis, different liquids are often mixed in proportion and used clinically. Why can't a single saline solution or 5% or 10% GS solution be used to correct dehydration and acidosis? This is because severe diarrhea in infants and young children, in addition to the loss of sodium bicarbonate and resulting in metabolic acidosis, also causes malnutrition (the so-called "starvation") ketoacidosis and a large loss of electrolytes and water. Therefore, a mixed solution is needed that can replenish electrolytes, correct acidosis, overcome ketosis, and replenish water and calories. The use of normal saline or 5% to 10% glucose solution alone cannot meet the above pathophysiological requirements. If normal saline is used alone for infusion, when sodium chloride has been replenished but dehydration has not been replenished, continuing to use normal saline will cause salt diuresis, and in severe cases, salt poisoning may occur.