Bacteriostatic Saline (0.9% Sodium Chloride)
Isotonic 0.9% sodium chloride with a benzyl alcohol preservative, supplied in multi-dose vials.
Available now
Manufacturer-labelled bacteriostatic saline (BAC saline) in the original medical-grade vial and labelling, supplied unchanged by Aus BAC Supply.
The same factory-sealed 30 mL vials, $4.95 cheaper than buying 2 separately. The pack price applies at checkout — no code needed.
The same factory-sealed 30 mL vials, $10.90 cheaper than buying 3 separately. The pack price applies at checkout — no code needed.
About Bacteriostatic Saline (0.9% Sodium Chloride)
Bacteriostatic sodium chloride — also called bacteriostatic saline, and shortened to BAC saline — is isotonic 0.9% sodium chloride solution with benzyl alcohol added as a bacteriostatic preservative. All three names describe the same product: sodium chloride is the salt, a solution of it is what saline means, and BAC is the common abbreviation of bacteriostatic. Product labelling generally uses the sodium chloride form, which is why the formal name and the term people search rarely match.
The preservative is the reason a multi-dose vial is possible at all. Benzyl alcohol inhibits the growth of most common bacteria rather than sterilising anything, so a sealed vial can be entered more than once instead of being discarded after a single withdrawal. That protection is finite: a printed expiry governs the sealed vial and a separate, much shorter in-use period starts at first entry, with whichever falls first ending the vial's usable life.
Two comparisons are worth being clear about. Against plain 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection — ordinary saline — the salt concentration is identical and the vial looks the same, but the plain version carries no preservative and is labelled for a single withdrawal. Against bacteriostatic water, the preservative is the same and the solute is the difference: saline is isotonic 0.9% sodium chloride, bacteriostatic water contains none. Which one a given product requires is stated in that product's own manufacturer information, and that specification decides it rather than preference.
Vials in this category are original Hospira presentations — the manufacturer's 30 mL plastic flip-top multi-dose vial, sterile and non-pyrogenic, released against the USP monograph — supplied factory-sealed and unaltered, with the lot and expiry intact. Aus BAC Supply does not decant, repackage or relabel. Available singly and in 2- and 3-vial packs.
Bacteriostatic saline is a diluent or solvent, not a ready-to-administer medicine; preparation and use must follow the supplied product information and qualified healthcare-professional direction. You must be 18 or over to purchase. Dispatched from Melbourne within 2 business days, with tracked delivery Australia-wide and free express shipping over $150.
Common questions
What is the difference between bacteriostatic saline and bacteriostatic water?
Both are preserved with benzyl alcohol and both come as multi-dose vials. Bacteriostatic saline is isotonic 0.9% sodium chloride; bacteriostatic water contains no solute. The product being prepared determines which diluent its manufacturer specifies.
Is bacteriostatic saline the same as normal saline?
No. Plain 0.9% sodium chloride for injection is preservative-free and its vial is labelled for a single withdrawal. Bacteriostatic saline adds benzyl alcohol so a sealed vial can be entered more than once.
What does isotonic mean?
A solution with the same effective osmotic concentration as the reference solution. Sodium chloride at 0.9% is the standard example, which is why it is commonly described as isotonic saline.
Is BAC saline the same as bacteriostatic sodium chloride?
Yes — the same product under different names. Sodium chloride is the salt that makes a solution saline, and BAC is the common abbreviation of bacteriostatic, so bacteriostatic sodium chloride, bacteriostatic saline and BAC saline all describe this presentation.
What does the 0.9% refer to?
On this product it is the sodium chloride concentration — 9 mg per mL, the concentration at which the solution is isotonic. On a bacteriostatic water label the same 0.9% refers to the benzyl alcohol instead, which is a common source of confusion between the two.
What sizes are available?
The manufacturer's 30 mL multi-dose plastic flip-top vial, supplied factory-sealed as a single vial or in 2- and 3-vial packs. Every option is the same sealed vial — the pack size is how many you receive.
Read more
- What is bacteriostatic sodium chloride 0.9%?
- Bacteriostatic saline vs bacteriostatic water
- How the benzyl alcohol preservative works
- How long does a vial last once opened?
- Storage and handling
Also in the range: Bacteriostatic Water (BAC Water) — or see the full range.
These products are diluents or solvents, not ready-to-administer medicines. Never inject them by themselves or self-administer. Compatibility, preparation and use must follow the supplied label and manufacturer product information under qualified healthcare-professional direction.