Preservative-free and bacteriostatic saline can have the same sodium chloride concentration while differing in preservative content and vial designation. The two Hospira products compared here are both 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP. The preservative-free product is supplied in single-dose vials; the bacteriostatic product contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol and is supplied in multiple-dose vials.

Exact matched Hospira label fields; an editorial graphic, not packaging or evidence of clinical equivalence.

For ordering staff, that distinction belongs in the product request alongside the vial size and NDC. “Saline” alone leaves several important fields unspecified. The clinical team must verify the required diluent against the medication manufacturer's instructions and the exact supplied label; a purchasing comparison does not establish that these products can replace one another.

Preservative-free and bacteriostatic saline: formulation differences

The Hospira preservative-free label specifies 9 mg/mL sodium chloride and no bacteriostat, antimicrobial agent, added buffer or preservative. Hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide may be used for pH adjustment. Preservative-free therefore does not mean the product is described only by salt and water without any possible pH-adjusting ingredient.

The Hospira bacteriostatic label also specifies 9 mg/mL sodium chloride, but adds 0.9% benzyl alcohol, equivalent to 9 mg/mL, as a bacteriostatic preservative. Those two 9 mg/mL values describe different ingredients. They should not be combined or mistaken for two ways of stating the salt concentration.

Both labels describe sterile, nonpyrogenic solutions. Neither the shared saline concentration nor the word “bacteriostatic” establishes superiority, compatibility with a particular medication or an infection-treatment use.

CLINT / PRACTICE + SCIENCE

Read the preservative as a separate ingredient field.

Sodium chloride: 9 mg/mL (0.9%)Both matched formulationsPreservative-free No preservative in the matched labelBacteriostatic Benzyl alcohol: 9 mg/mL (0.9%), separately stated preservative

Read single-dose and multiple-dose as label designations

The container designation is separate from its volume. A larger vial is not automatically multiple-dose, and a smaller vial is not automatically single-dose. In the matched Hospira assortment, the 50 mL preservative-free vial is single-dose, while the 30 mL bacteriostatic vial is multiple-dose.

Keep those terms in the order record rather than using volume as a shortcut. The manufacturer's package information identifies 25 vials per tray for each of the four presentations below. That quantity describes the package, not the number of uses permitted for an individual vial.

The exact preservative-free label instructs users not to reuse single-dose containers and to discard the unused portion. A multiple-dose designation does not supply an office-wide opened-vial schedule; use the product-specific instructions and applicable clinical procedures.

Important limits in the bacteriostatic label

Preservative content has label consequences. The Hospira bacteriostatic product is labeled not for use in neonates because of benzyl alcohol toxicity. Its label also excludes fluid or sodium chloride replacement and spinal or epidural anesthetic procedures, and states that it is not for inhalation. These restrictions are specific product boundaries, not an invitation to infer an alternative clinical use.

The same label directs use of preservative-free Sodium Chloride Injection for intravascular catheter flushing. That statement does not establish that every preservative-free product page is a labeled flush product. The exact preservative-free vial label used here describes drug dilution or dissolution. Staff should verify the actual requested product and intended use with the clinical team rather than turn a broad supplier description into an administration instruction.

The required diluent comes from the drug manufacturer's instructions, not from a shared saline concentration.

Match the NDC, vial size and supplied package

Clint lists the following exact Hospira presentations in its diluents section. The supplier descriptions say Box/25, while the matched manufacturer labels describe trays of 25. Confirm the supplied purchasing unit when ordering.

These are package NDCs, not claims about the identifier printed on every individual vial. Match the manufacturer's identity, concentration, designation and packaging as well as the number. The comparison is limited to these Hospira products; a different manufacturer's preservative-free listing needs its own label check.

Storage belongs to the exact product record

Both matched Hospira labels specify storage at 20–25°C, or 68–77°F, with reference to USP controlled room temperature. Record the instruction from the supplied product's label rather than borrowing handling directions from another injectable product.

Verify the requested saline at Clint

Ready to check a product request? Open the linked vial presentation above or Clint's diluents section. The links lead to the relevant pages even when account-specific purchasing details require login.

Before completing the order, confirm the medication manufacturer's required diluent, the exact NDC and vial designation, the number of vials supplied, and current availability and account pricing. Product-page access alone does not establish stock. A concise ordering example is: “Preservative-free 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 10 mL single-dose, package NDC 0409-4888-10, Clint CP-4888-10, Box/25; confirm availability.” It preserves a verified presentation without recommending its clinical use.

Frequently asked questions

Is bacteriostatic saline the same as preservative-free saline?

No. The bacteriostatic Hospira label includes benzyl alcohol; the preservative-free label does not. Shared sodium chloride concentration does not establish interchangeability.

Is the 50 mL preservative-free vial multiple-dose?

No. The matched Hospira package information identifies that presentation as single-dose. Volume alone does not determine the designation.

Does multiple-dose mean an office can assume a reuse period?

No opened-vial duration is established here. The preservative-free label expressly prohibits reuse of single-dose containers; a multiple-dose label must be read separately.

Does preservative-free mean there are no pH-adjusting ingredients?

No. The exact Hospira label allows hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment.

Is a Box/25 description a 25 mL vial?

No. Box/25 describes the supplier's package count. Read the individual vial volume separately in the 10 mL single-dose product listing, for example.

Sources checked September 30, 2026. Hospira preservative-free label: body revised August 2021, DailyMed page updated November 6, 2024. Bacteriostatic label: body revised February 2019, page updated April 3, 2026. Revision and page-update dates describe different events. Product and package observations are limited to the exact linked presentations.