Ideal to stop bleeding, this 95% Caustic Silver Nitrate Styptic Pencil can also be used to chemically cauterize skin, making it a handy tool to have in practice.
What is a silver nitrate pencil used for?
The silver nitrate pencil (caustic pencil) is used as a haemostasis device, allowing a practitioner to quickly stop bleeding in awkward places such as the nose, ears, and toenails. It's also used to cauterise the patient's skin, permanently destroying unwanted tissue, such as warts, excess tissue, granulation tissue, skin tags or aphthous ulcers.
Read more information on the AVOCA website.
How to use a silver nitrate pencil?
The AVOCA Caustic Silver Nitrate Styptic Pencil 95% should only be used on animals. It's suitable for both small and large animals.
- Moisten the tip in clean water (DO NOT use saline solution)
- Apply carefully to avoid breaking the tip
- Stop activity by washing the area with saline solution (1% sodium chloride)
- Dry pencil tip and replace cap
- Dispose of caustics according to local waste regulations
Silver nitrate activity is proportional to contact time. More water or less time will reduce activity.
Advice for veterinarians treating large areas:
- Remove the tip from an Avoca Silver Nitrate Caustic Pencil and crush it to a powder in a pestle and mortar
- Add several drops of water
- Mix water and powder until the powder has dissolved with a small paint brush, like a child’s water colour or poster paint brush, and apply using the same brush
- Leave to dry
- When treatment is complete, add a teaspoon of salt to the unused water mixture, stir with the brush, rinse with tap water and flush down sink
source - www.avocamedical.com