Glass ampoules have been widely used for drugs. Anesthesiologists, along with nurses and nurse aides, represent a significant proportion of the group of professionals that routinely manipulate this material. Glass is made of basically three inorganic compounds (SiO2 – 73%; Na2CO3 – 14%; CaCO3 – 11%). In essence, it is colorless. During its manufacture metallic oxides (iron, cobalt, manganese, nickel, aluminum, chrome, arsenic, barium, and others) are added. Many of these metallic oxides can give color to glass 1. Glass has important characteristics that are responsible for its wide use in the manufacture of containers for drug and other sterile substances (Table I). This article can be downloaded in full from: www.scielo.br/pdf/rba/v61n4/en_v61n4a13.pdf
