Page 40 - Pharmaceutics IV (02-06-01305)

Pharmaceutical requirements

Isotonicity

In practice, for normal conditions:

Hypotonic solutions Hypertonic solutions

• They have a lower osmotic • They have a higher osmotic
pressure than plasma. pressure than plasma.

• If mixed with blood they would • If mixed with blood they would
cause the blood cells to swell cause the blood cells to lose water
and burst (hemolysis) as water by osmosis and shrink (crenation
would be driven into the cells by occurs
osmosis.

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Pharmaceutical requirements Isotonicity

Pharmaceutically

• Parenteral products should aim toward being isotonic.
• If this is not achievable, excessive values of osmolality should be

avoided as much as possible to minimize or prevent local damage on
vascular endothelium and circulating blood cells.
• Isotonicity is not an essential requirement for small volume IV
injections.

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Salma E. EL-Habashy