What is known about use of topical silver nitrate during pregnancy and breast-feeding?/nA woman in

Fråga: What is known about use of topical silver nitrate during pregnancy and breast-feeding?

A woman in week 39 of pregnancy has been recommended by her physicians to use silver nitrate (Lapispenna) to remove skin growth on a finger.

Sammanfattning: There is no documentation of silver nitrate treatment during pregnancy or breast-feeding. The systemic absorption is probably negligible. Topical administered silver nitrate used occasionally on a small defined area is not expected to constitute a risk of untoward effect on the fetus or breast-fed child.

Svar: No documentation has been found in available literature concerning topical silver nitrate use during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

Silver nitrate is a substance with antiseptic, aseptic and caustic pharmacological effects (1,2,3). Silver nitrate was previously used in Sweden in newborns to prevent ocular infections, and is still used for that indication in other countries (1,2). It is also used as a caustic to destroy warts and other small skin growths, and applied to severe burns to reduce infection (2).

Silver nitrate is poorly absorbed from mucous membranes since it forms insoluble compounds, and therefore the systemic absorption from intact skin is probably negligible (1). Methemoglobinemia and electrolytic disturbances have been observed in patients with severe skin burns that have received silver nitrate, were you could expect a substantial absorption (1). Drugline no 13278 (year 1998) Silver nitrate. Drugdex(R) System; Thomson MICROMEDEX, Greenwood Village, Colorado (Edition expires (date))