🟣 Potassium Permanganate Crystals (For Topical Solution)
📌 1. Prescription / Indication:
Potassium permanganate is prescribed topically for its antiseptic and astringent properties. It is used in diluted solution to treat:
- Weeping or infected eczema
- Dermatitis
- Fungal infections (e.g., athlete’s foot)
- Ulcers, abscesses, and wounds
- Burns (to reduce infection risk)
📄 2. Description:
- Dark purple or black crystals with a metallic sheen.
- Odorless and highly soluble in water.
- When dissolved, it forms a deep purple to pink solution depending on concentration.
- Available in crystalline or tablet form for dilution before use.
🔬 3. Nature / Class:
- Chemical Class: Strong oxidizing agent
- Pharmacologic Class: Topical antiseptic
- Mechanism of Action: Oxidizes cellular components, killing bacteria, fungi, and some viruses. Also dries out weeping lesions due to its astringent action.
🌟 4. Advantages:
- Broad-spectrum antiseptic
- Effective for oozing and infected skin conditions
- Reduces itchiness, odor, and moisture
- Affordable and widely available
- Can be used in compresses, baths, or wet dressings
📦 5. Common Packaging:
| Form | Packaging |
|---|---|
| Crystals | 5 g, 10 g, 25 g glass/plastic jars |
| Tablets | 400 mg per tablet (for dilution) |
- Supplied with instructions for dilution before use
🧊 6. Storage:
- Store in a tightly closed container
- Keep away from light, moisture, and heat
- Oxidizing agent – store away from flammable or organic materials
- Do not mix with reducing agents or acids
👩⚕️ 7. Patient Advice:
- Never use undiluted. Must be diluted to 0.01%–0.1% strength.
- A 0.01% (1:10,000) solution is commonly used for soaking or bathing.
- Can stain skin, nails, clothes, and surfaces.
- Use gloves during application.
- May cause temporary brown discoloration of the skin.
- Avoid contact with eyes, mucosa, or open deep wounds.
- In case of accidental ingestion or inhalation — seek immediate medical help.
🎯 8. Purpose / Uses:
- Antiseptic cleansing of infected eczema, dermatitis, athlete’s foot
- Cleaning leg ulcers or pressure sores
- Pre-operative skin prep (rare)
- Deodorizing wounds
- May reduce inflammation and exudate
⚠️ 9. Precautions:
- Stains fabrics permanently
- High concentrations can burn skin or tissues
- Not for internal use
- Keep out of reach of children
- Avoid mixing with glycerin, alcohol, or other organics (can cause explosions)