Ferric subsulfate solution is a

styptic An antihemorrhagic () agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (a process which stops bleeding). It may also be known as a hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agent. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action: ...

hemostatic agent An antihemorrhagic () agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (a process which stops bleeding). It may also be known as a hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agent. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action: ...

used after superficial skin biopsies. Ferric subsulfate solution is also known as basic ferric sulfate solution or Monsel's solution. It has a recognised formula published in

United States Pharmacopeia The ''United States Pharmacopeia'' (''USP'') is a pharmacopeia (compendium of drug information) for the United States published annually by the over 200-year old United States Pharmacopeial Convention (usually also called the USP), a nonprofi ...

29.

Active ingredients

Ferric subsulfate solution is prepared from

ferrous sulfate Iron(II) sulfate or ferrous sulfate (British English: sulphate instead of sulfate) denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7), but several values for ...

sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, ...

and

nitric acid Nitric acid is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but samples tend to acquire a yellow cast over time due to decomposition into nitrogen oxide, oxides of nitrogen. Most com ...

. It contains, per 100 mL, basic ferric sulfate equivalent to not less than 20g and not more than 22g of iron.

Storage

Ferric subsulfate solution is generally stored in airtight containers at a temperature above 22 degrees Celsius. Crystallization may occur at temperatures below 22 degrees. Warming the solution may redissolve the crystals. The solution is typically protected from light.

Other uses

Ferric subsulfate (also known as Monsel's solution) is often used by Jewish burial societies (

chevra kadisha The term ''chevra kadisha'' () gained its modern sense of "burial society" in the nineteenth century. It is an organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tra ...

) to stop post-mortem bleeding. Since Jewish burial does not allow any external skin adhesives such as bandages, tape, glue or resin, ferric subsulfate is an effective way to stop post-mortem bleeding. Most post-mortem bleeding stems from surgery, emergency room situations, autopsies or blood which may result when removing IV lines during Jewish burial preparation. A piece of cotton, or Q-tip, soaked with this solution is pressed against the open wound and held for a few seconds. This is usually enough time for the seal to take effect. For more severe cases, such as arterial lines, if the line is still inside, the solution can be inserted directly into the IV line.Silver Spring Maryland

Chevra Kadisha The term ''chevra kadisha'' () gained its modern sense of "burial society" in the nineteenth century. It is an organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tra ...

(Jewish Burial Society)

Brand names

AstrinGyn by

CooperSurgical The Cooper Companies, Inc., branded as CooperCompanies, is a global medical device company headquartered in San Ramon, California. The company consists of two business units, CooperVision (CVI) which manufactures contact lenses, and CooperSurgi ...

is a thickened and specially modified gel formulation.

History

It was invented in the late 1840s by Leon Monsel (March 13, 1816 – April 15, 1878), a French military pharmacist. His invention soon became a standard in the French Corps, which saved many lives during battles of the French Army.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferric Subsulfate Solution Medical hygiene Iron(III) compounds Sulfates