The medical term “parenteral” refers to administering drugs or medications into the body through a means other than the digestive tract. In simpler terms, this means beyond the intestine. Sterile parenteral preparations are intended to be administered directly into the systemic circulation in the human or animal body. These preparations come in various forms such as injections, infusions, and implants.

Small-volume parenteral (SVP) solutions are intended for a volume of 100 ml or less, and they come packaged in different ways depending on their intended use. If the SVP is a liquid primarily designed for drug delivery, it comes packaged in a small plastic bag named a minibag of 50 -100 ml. On the other hand, Large-Volume Parenterals (LVPS or large-volume injections) are aqueous solutions usually supplied in volumes ranging from 100 ml to 5000 ml. LVPS is generally used to provide fluid replacement therapy, and it can be administered in various ways such as intravenous, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous.

Some commonly used large-volume parenteral preparations include infusions of amino acid, mannitol, dextrose, lactated ringer injection, ringer injection, and sodium chloride injection.