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Evidence grade n/a
Bacteriostatic Water (30 mL)
A lab diluent, not a research compound, so no evidence grade applies.
- Strengths
- 30 mL vial
- Also known as
- Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP, BAC water
- Molecule
- Sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative
Origin
Sterile water with benzyl alcohol added as a preservative that slows bacterial growth, making it a multi-dose product. An FDA-approved, prescription-only version (Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP) also exists.
How it works
The 0.9% benzyl alcohol is bacteriostatic: it slows bacterial growth, which is why the product is supplied in a multi-dose vial. Sterile water without a preservative is supplied in single-dose containers.
What the research shows
This is a standard laboratory and pharmaceutical diluent rather than a research compound. The approved product's label describes a 30 mL plastic multi-dose vial of sterile water containing benzyl alcohol 9 mg/mL (0.9%), with a pH of about 5.7.
Key studies
- Gershanik et al., NEJM 1982 Described fatal 'gasping syndrome' in premature infants exposed to benzyl alcohol in preserved flush solutions.
- Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP label (NDA018802), DailyMed 2026 Composition, pH, Rx-only status and the neonatal-toxicity warning.
Safety findings
The approved product's label warns that benzyl alcohol is linked to fatal toxicity in newborns ('gasping syndrome'). Label warnings also cover hemolysis (red-cell damage), because the solution is hypotonic, and incompatibility with some substances. Benzyl alcohol allergy is rare.
Regulatory status
The approved version is FDA-approved and Rx-only, but it is offered for laboratory research use only. FDA's drug-shortage database lists Bacteriostatic Water for Injection as currently in shortage. DailyMed also lists unapproved bacteriostatic water products, so not every bacteriostatic water is FDA-approved.
Catalog notes
A 30 mL vial; no certificate, product SDS, NDC or lot is published yet. The approved product's label lists storage at 20–25 °C, while the catalog's general text says 'refrigerated or as labeled.' The Reconstitution Solution has the same preservative level.