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Short answer: “Viaflex” is Baxter’s name for a flexible plastic IV container. On the FDA drug labels cited below, Viaflex and Viaflex Plus containers are described as polyvinyl chloride (PVC); other bags, such as B. Braun’s EXCEL container, are described as PVC-free. The material statement lives in each product’s label, not in the brand name.
This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice. It is written for clinic staff, purchasers and students who need to read a container description correctly.
What a Viaflex bag is
Viaflex is the container name used on a number of Baxter Healthcare Corporation premixed IV solutions. The drug label of each product names the container in its Description and How Supplied sections, for example “single-dose VIAFLEX plastic containers” (potassium chloride in lactated Ringer’s and dextrose) and “Viaflex Plus plastic containers” (potassium chloride injection). The bag holds a ready-to-use sterile solution and is supplied inside a moisture-barrier overwrap.
What the labels say the container is made of
The wording differs from label to label, so the table below quotes the label, not the brand.
| Label (product, maker) | Container wording on the label |
|---|---|
| Potassium Chloride in Lactated Ringer’s and Dextrose (5%) Injection, Baxter (label effective 2025-10-29) | “The VIAFLEX plastic container is fabricated from polyvinyl chloride (PL 146 Plastic).” |
| Potassium Chloride Injection, Baxter (label effective 2026-01-09) | “This Viaflex Plus plastic container is fabricated from a specially formulated polyvinyl chloride.” |
The first label also states that small amounts of container components, with di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) given as an example, may leach out within the expiration period, and that animal tests, USP biological tests for plastic containers and tissue culture toxicity studies demonstrated that the container meets safety requirements. The second label says solutions in contact with the plastic may leach out certain components in very small amounts, and that biological testing was supportive of the safety of the container materials.
Note the difference between “PL 146 Plastic” on one label and “specially formulated polyvinyl chloride” on the other. Do not assume every Viaflex-labelled product uses identical film; read the label of the product in front of you.
PVC and non-PVC IV bags
People searching for a “non PVC IV bag” are usually asking whether a given bag is made of something other than PVC. The labels below show how that is stated.
| Container | What the label says | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Viaflex / Viaflex Plus (Baxter) | Polyvinyl chloride; “PL 146 Plastic” on one label, “specially formulated” PVC on the other | PVC container |
| EXCEL Container (B. Braun Medical Inc., 10% Dextrose Injection label, effective 2012-06-07, an older label) | “Made from a multilayered film specifically developed for parenteral drugs”; “Latex-free; PVC-free; and DEHP-free” | PVC-free film |
| INTRAVIA bag (Mylan Institutional LLC, esmolol in sodium chloride label, effective 2026-03-05) | “Non-latex, non-PVC INTRAVIA bags with dual PVC ports”; “specially designed multilayer plastic (PL 2408)” | Non-PVC bag, but the ports are PVC |
The INTRAVIA row is the one most often missed: a bag described as non-PVC can still have PVC ports, so “PVC-free bag” and “PVC-free fluid path” are different statements. The label text is the place to check which one is being made.
How to read a label to identify the container
- Open the product label (the drug label’s Description section) and find the sentence beginning with the container name, such as “The VIAFLEX plastic container is fabricated from…”.
- Note the exact material wording (polyvinyl chloride, multilayer film, and so on) and any plastic code such as PL 146 or PL 2408.
- Look for separate statements about ports and about latex or DEHP, as the EXCEL and INTRAVIA labels contain them.
- Check the label’s effective date. The EXCEL example above is a 2012 label, and the maker’s current label may differ.
For fluid types and how institutions organise IV bag stock, see IV bags: fluid types and institutional stocking. For the saline formats these bags commonly hold, see what 0.9% sodium chloride is. The tubing that connects a bag to the patient is covered in gravity tubing and infusion sets. Related supplies are grouped under IV bags.
Container and packaging details the labels state
These are descriptive statements from the labels, not instructions.
- The premixed bag is supplied inside an overwrap that the Baxter and B. Braun labels describe as protection from the physical environment and an additional moisture barrier.
- Some opacity of the plastic from moisture absorbed during sterilization may be observed; the Baxter and Mylan labels describe it as normal and as diminishing gradually.
- The Baxter Viaflex Plus label notes that exposure to temperatures above 25 C (77 F) during transport and storage leads to minor losses in moisture content.
Common mistakes
- Treating the brand as the material. Two Baxter labels use different wording for the PVC they describe, and other makers’ bags are not PVC.
- Reading an old label as current. Check the effective date.
- Assuming a non-PVC bag means no PVC anywhere. The INTRAVIA label describes PVC ports.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Viaflex bag made of PVC?
The two Baxter labels cited here describe their Viaflex and Viaflex Plus containers as fabricated from polyvinyl chloride.
What is a non-PVC IV bag?
It is a bag whose label describes a material other than PVC, for example the multilayered film of the EXCEL container or the multilayer plastic (PL 2408) of the INTRAVIA bags. The INTRAVIA label also states dual PVC ports.
Is “freeflex” the same as Viaflex?
The labels cited here do not mention a “freeflex” container, so this page makes no statement about it. Check the maker’s own label or product documentation.
Does the brand name tell me the material?
No. The material statement is in each product’s label, and wording differs between labels.
Sources
Label text is from the FDA’s openFDA drug label API (structured product labeling data); checked 2026-10-30.
- Baxter, Potassium Chloride in Lactated Ringer’s and Dextrose (5%) Injection, set ID 05f326e6-10e4-4ceb-8a23-f53c592f00b8: openFDA record.
- Baxter, Potassium Chloride Injection (Viaflex Plus), set ID 092ddee4-572d-4771-8d95-880cea01097e: openFDA record.
- B. Braun Medical Inc., 10% Dextrose Injection USP (EXCEL Container), set ID 2cae298e-ef85-443c-b09a-8c940d34b81c: openFDA record.
- Mylan Institutional LLC, Esmolol Hydrochloride in Sodium Chloride Injection (INTRAVIA bags), set ID 01ad7942-99c3-40ee-9cfb-272fb6c44e2b: openFDA record.
