Before performing any of the instructed steps in this video, always check with our team or your child’s pediatrician for safety.
Saline is important in the use of antegrade flushes, enemas, and irrigations, as our Colorectal team often recommends large volumes of saline to help flush the colon. This video teaches you how to make saline easily at home. For more information on this topic or to access other educational videos and resources, please visit our website at https://childrensnational.org/departments/colorectal
Type: video · 2 min · posted 2023-06-16 Canonical: https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743 ## Chapters - [0:00](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=0) Introduction and Indications - [1:00](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=60) Supplies and Preparation Overview - [1:35](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=95) Mixing Instructions and Scaling - [2:20](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=140) Water Safety and Storage - [2:45](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=165) Closing and Resources ## Statements - "Saline is used to flush or clean the colon of stool in pediatric patients" — Emily Rice (clinical) [0:30](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=30) - "Saline flushes can be administered through a Malone or through an enema in the child's bottom" — Emily Rice (clinical) [0:40](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=40) - "Saline is used for irrigations, another method of cleaning the colon" — Emily Rice (clinical) [0:50](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=50) - "Commercial saline can be expensive and is occasionally not covered by insurance" — Emily Rice (opinion) [1:00](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=60) - "Homemade saline does not cost much and is very easy to make" — Emily Rice (opinion) [1:05](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=65) - "The recipe for homemade saline is one cup of warm tap water mixed with half a teaspoon of table salt" — Emily Rice (clinical) [1:35](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=95) - "The recipe can be scaled by adding half a teaspoon of salt for each additional cup of water" — Emily Rice (clinical) [1:45](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=105) - "For four cups of saline, a total of two teaspoons of salt should be added" — Emily Rice (clinical) [1:55](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=115) - "The saline solution must be allowed to cool before use in flushes, enemas, or irrigations" — Emily Rice (clinical) [2:05](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=125) - "In the United States, it is safe to use tap water from kitchen or bathroom sinks for making saline" — Emily Rice (guideline) [2:20](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=140) - "In locations where tap water is unsafe to drink, water should be boiled for 15 minutes before adding salt" — Emily Rice (guideline) [2:28](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=148) - "Boiled water must be allowed to cool after adding salt before use" — Emily Rice (clinical) [2:38](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=158) - "Homemade saline can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week" — Emily Rice (guideline) [2:42](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=162) - "Caregivers should always consult with the colorectal team or pediatrician before using saline for bowel management" — Emily Rice (guideline) [0:20](https://library.globalcastmd.com/watch/how-to-make-saline-6743?t=20) ## Transcript Hello, I'm Emily Rice and I'm a nurse with a division of colorectal and pelvic reconstruction at Children's National Hospital. I'm here today to teach you about making saline, or salt water, at home. Before using saline to clean your child's colon, always talk with our team or your child's pediatrician for safety. Frequently, the colorectal team will recommend the use of saline to help flush or clean the colon of stool. This flush can be given through a malone or through an enema in the child's bottom. We also use saline for irrigations, which is another way of cleaning the colon. Our team will guide you on which method is best for your child. Saline can be expensive and is occasionally not covered by insurance. The good news is, is that it doesn't cost much and is very easy to make. As saline is an important tool in bowel management, our goal with this video is to ensure you have saline when you need it. You will need the following supplies. Table salt, the kind you find in a salt shaker such as Morton's Fine Grain Table Salt. A measuring cup. A half teaspoon measuring spoon. A large clean bottle or jar with a tight sealing lid. Warm water from your kitchen or bathroom sink. In your bottle or jar, mix one cup of warm tap water and half a teaspoon of table salt. You can make more than one cup at a time if you need more. Just add half a teaspoon of salt for each one cup of water you're measuring. For example, if you're making four cups, you would add a total of two teaspoons of salt. Once you've mixed the water and salt together, allow it to cool before using it in your flush, enema, or irrigation. If you live in the United States, it is perfectly safe to use the water from your kitchen or bathroom sink for your saline. If you live in another country or someplace where you're told it's not safe to drink the water, then we would recommend boiling the water for 15 minutes before adding the salt. Once you've boiled it, you can then add the salt, but be sure to allow it to cool before using. You can make a large container of saline ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you want more information, please visit the colorectal program's website. We have multiple videos and printed resources to help you care for your child. And don't forget, always check with your child's pediatrician or our team when caring for your child's medical needs. and I'm an N. Thank you. --- Not medical advice · citation policy: https://library.globalcastmd.com/ai