WHAT IS BACTERIOSTATIC WATER?
Bacteriostatic Water is sterile, non-pyrogenic water
that contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol (9mg/mL) added as a
bacteriostatic preservative. This preparation of sterile
water and benzyl alcohol (BnOH) allows repeated withdrawals
to be made from a single 30mL plastic vial. Hospira, the
world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of bacteriostatic
and sterile water, advises that once a vial of bacteriostatic water
is open, the preservatives will prolong its life for up to 28 days.
After this period, the vial should be discarded.
The difference between bacteriostatic water and sterile water is that other
sterile waters for injection do not contain a bacteriostatic agent.
As such, they are single-dose vials and should be discarded after a single use.
