what is half normal saline
1 Sometimes the abbreviations for sodium and chloride are used so you will see Na+ and Cl-. 2  The 0.9% solution may simply be called normal saline, abbreviated NS.  The 0.45% solution may be referred to as half normal saline (since 0.45% is half of 0.9%) and abbreviated 1/2 NS.
This type of solution provides free water, sodium, and chloride but does not provide calories or other electrolytes. An example of a hypotonic solution is 0.45% sodium chloride (0.45% NS), commonly called half normal saline. Solutions with an electrolyte content of 375 mEq/L or more are considered hypertonic. Hypertonic solutions are infused to treat patients who have severe hyponatremia.