Ferric subsulfate solution is a

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

or hemostatic agent 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 United States Pharmacopeial Convention (usually also called the USP), a nonprofit organization tha ...

29.

Active ingredients

Ferric subsulfate solution is prepared from

ferrous sulfate Iron(II) sulfate ( British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous 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 x are kn ...

, sulfuric acid and

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available ni ...

. 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 should be 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 should be 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'' (Modern Hebrew: חֶבְרָה קַדִּישָׁא) 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 Je ...

) 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'' (Modern Hebrew: חֶבְרָה קַדִּישָׁא) 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 Je ...

(Jewish Burial Society)

Brandnames

AstrinGyn by CooperSurgical 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