NaCl
Meaning of NaCl: Sodium chloride, written NaCl, is an essential electrolyte used medically in intravenous fluids, saline solutions, and wound irrigation.
Definition of NaCl
NaCl is the chemical formula for sodium chloride, an ionic compound formed from sodium and chloride, commonly known as table salt. In the body, sodium and chloride are essential electrolytes that help regulate fluid balance, blood pressure, and the electrical activity of nerve and muscle cells.
In medicine, NaCl dissolved in water at various concentrations is used to make saline solutions, which serve many purposes, including intravenous fluid replacement, dilution of medications given by infusion, wound cleaning and irrigation, and rinsing the nasal passages or eyes.
Because sodium and chloride levels in the blood are tightly regulated by the kidneys and hormonal systems, laboratory testing of blood sodium and chloride levels is commonly used to assess fluid balance and to help identify a range of underlying conditions affecting kidney function, hydration status, or hormone regulation.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Intravenous NaCl solution was administered to help correct the patient's dehydration.
Good to know
Different concentrations of NaCl solution are used for different medical purposes, so the specific saline solution used, such as one for intravenous fluid replacement versus wound irrigation, is not interchangeable.