Medicine:Potassium permanganate (medical use)

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Short description: Medication for some skin conditions
Potassium permanganate
Potassium-permanganate-sample.jpg
Clinical data
Trade namesPermitabs,[1] others
Routes of
administration
Topical
ATC code
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
Chemical and physical data
FormulaKMnO4
Molar mass158.032
3D model (JSmol)

Potassium permanganate is used as a medication for a number of skin conditions.[2] This includes fungal infections of the foot, impetigo, pemphigus, superficial wounds, dermatitis, and tropical ulcers.[3][2] For tropical ulcers it is used together with procaine benzylpenicillin.[2] Typically it is used in skin conditions that produce a lot of liquid.[3] It can be applied as a soaked dressing or a bath.[2]

Side effects may include irritation of the skin and discoloration of clothing.[2] If it is taken by mouth, toxicity and death may occur.[4] Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent.[5] The British National Formulary recommends that each 100 mg be dissolved in a liter of water before use.[3]

Potassium permanganate was first made in the 1600s and came into common medical use at least as early as the 1800s.[6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[7]

Medical uses

Uses include for fungal infections of the foot, impetigo, pemphigus, superficial wounds, dermatitis (eczema), and tropical ulcers.[3][2] Typically it is used in skin conditions that produce a lot of liquid.[3] For tropical ulcers it is used together with procaine benzylpenicillin for two to four weeks.[2][8]

It can be used in children and adults.[8] It can be applied as a soaked dressing or a bath.[2] Petroleum jelly may be used on the nails before soaking to prevent their discoloration.[1] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recommend its use in either the crystal or tablet form.[9]

Side effects

Topical

Side effects may include irritation of the skin and discoloration of clothing.[2] A harsh burn on a child from an undissolved tablet has been reported.[10] For treating eczema, it is recommended using for a few days at a time due to the possibility of it irritating the skin.[10] Higher concentration solutions can result in chemical burns.[11] Therefore, the British National Formulary recommends 100 mg be dissolved in a liter of water before use to form a 1:10,000 (0.01%) solution.[3][10] Wrapping the dressings soaked with potassium permanganate is not recommended.[8]

By mouth

If taken by mouth it is toxic.[12] Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath may occur.[13] If a sufficiently large amount (about 10 grams) is eaten death may occur.[4][13]

Concentrated solutions when drunk have resulted in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome or swelling of the airway.[14] Recommended measures for those who have ingested potassium permanganate include gastroscopy.[14] Activated charcoal or medications to cause vomiting are not recommended.[14] While medications like ranitidine and N-acetylcysteine may be used in toxicity, evidence for this use is poor.[14]

Mechanism of action

Potassium permanganate functions as an oxidising agent.[15] Through this mechanism it results in disinfection, astringent effects, and decreased smell.[15]

History

Potassium permanganate was first made in the 1600s and came into common medical use at least as early as the 1800s.[6] During World War I Canadian soldiers were given potassium permanganate (to be applied mixed with an ointment) in an effort to prevent sexually transmitted infections (resulting mostly in violet stained genitals.)[16] Some have attempted to bring about an abortion by putting it in the vagina, though this is not effective.[17][18][19] Other historical uses have included as an effort to wash out the stomach in those with strychnine or picrotoxin poisoning.[20]

Society and culture

In the United States the FDA requires tablets of the medication to be sold by prescription.[9] Potassium permanganate, however, does not have FDA approved uses and therefore non medical grade potassium permanganate is sometimes used for medical use.[citation needed]

It is available under a number of brand names including Permasol, Koi Med Tricho-Ex, and Kalii permanganas RFF.[21] It is occasionally called "Condy's crystals".[15]

Other animals

Potassium permanganate may be used to prevent the spread of glanders among horses.[22]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 (in en) Oxford Handbook of Medical Dermatology. OUP Oxford. 2011. p. 592. ISBN 9780199558322. https://books.google.com/books?id=CDxsjyTSnawC&pg=PA592. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 WHO Model Formulary 2008. World Health Organization. 2009. pp. 295, 300. ISBN 9789241547659. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 British Medical Association; Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2015). British national formulary (69 ed.). p. 840. ISBN 9780857111562. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 (in en) Wound Healing and Ulcers of the Skin: Diagnosis and Therapy - The Practical Approach. Springer Science & Business Media. 2005. p. 265. ISBN 9783540267614. https://books.google.com/books?id=tYzut85bKlcC&pg=PA265. 
  5. (in en) Practical Pharmaceutical Chemistry - I. Nirali Prakashan. 2008. ISBN 9788185790442. https://books.google.com/books?id=P3nyl66NcF4C&pg=PA53. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 (in en) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Aquaponic Gardening. Penguin. 2013. p. Chapter 16. ISBN 9781615643332. https://books.google.com/books?id=BIfEfqS8iKcC&pg=RA1-PT234. 
  7. World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. 2019. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "WHO Model Prescribing Information: Drugs Used in Skin Diseases: Antiseptic agents: Potassium permanganate". http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Jh2918e/25.2.html. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=250.108. 
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Should potassium permanganate be used in wound care?" (in en). 5 August 2003. https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/wound-care/should-potassium-permanganate-be-used-in-wound-care/205220.article. 
  11. (in en) Poisoning and Drug Overdose, Sixth Edition. McGraw Hill Professional. 2011. p. 121. ISBN 9780071716765. https://books.google.com/books?id=ju7diy73Z2wC. 
  12. (in en) Pediatric Dermatology E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2011. p. 131. ISBN 978-0723436652. https://books.google.com/books?id=tAlGLYplkacC&pg=PA131. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 (in en) A Comprehensive Guide to the Hazardous Properties of Chemical Substances. John Wiley & Sons. 2007. p. 710. ISBN 9780471714583. https://books.google.com/books?id=-CRRJBVv5d0C&pg=PA710. 
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 (in en) Medical Toxicology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2004. pp. 904–905. ISBN 9780781728454. https://books.google.com/books?id=BfdighlyGiwC&pg=PA904. 
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Potassium permanganate | DermNet New Zealand" (in en). https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/potassium-permanganate/. 
  16. (in en) A Short History of Medicine. Random House Publishing Group. 2008. p. 111. ISBN 9781588368218. https://books.google.com/books?id=bKpBZi8uG8IC&pg=PA111. 
  17. (in en) Pregnancy and Power: A Short History of Reproductive Politics in America. NYU Press. 2005. p. 120. ISBN 9780814741191. https://books.google.com/books?id=Xe6gBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120. 
  18. (in en) Code of Federal Regulations: Record 2: 2007-. U.S. General Services Administration, National Archives and Records Service, Office of the Federal Register. 2008. p. 178. https://books.google.com/books?id=SbVRAQAAMAAJ. 
  19. "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=250.108. 
  20. "Potassium permanganate definition | Drugs.com". https://www.drugs.com/dict/potassium-permanganate.html. 
  21. "Potassium Permanganate - Drugs.com". https://www.drugs.com/international/potassium-permanganate.html. 
  22. (in en) Equine Dermatology - E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2010. p. 168. ISBN 978-1437709216. https://books.google.com/books?id=f0-v1vOq3x4C&pg=PA168.