What is the most appropriate medication to stock in the automated dispensing cabinet for sodium chloride in emergency situations?

In emergency situations, hypertonic saline solutions play a crucial role in the management of specific medical conditions, particularly those associated with severe hyponatremia and intracranial hypertension. Sodium chloride solutions, such as NaCl 3% and NaCl 23.4%, are both hypertonic solutions, but they have different clinical applications, concentration strengths, and dosing considerations.

The central reason for choosing to stock only NaCl 3% bags in the automated dispensing cabinet is that 3% saline is more commonly used in acute care settings for the treatment of symptomatic hyponatremia. This concentration allows for safer administration when correcting sodium levels, reducing the risk of rapid shifts that can occur with hypertonic solutions. It serves as a critical tool for healthcare providers addressing urgent medical needs without exposing patients to the potential complications that might arise from the more concentrated NaCl 23.4% solution, which is typically reserved for specific scenarios and often requires more stringent monitoring.

On the other hand, while NaCl 23.4% has its place in therapy (often for cases requiring immediate reduction of intracranial pressure), its use is less common in emergency scenarios due to the increased risk for complications, such as osmotic demyel