From the Guidelines
Silver nitrate is commonly used as a cauterizing agent to treat various medical conditions, including warts, skin tags, and overgranulation tissue, due to its effectiveness in promoting tissue cauterization and preventing infection. In medicine, it's used in concentrations of 0.5-10% to stop minor bleeding, treat canker sores, and remove warts or skin tags 1. Silver nitrate sticks (75-95% concentration) are applied briefly to affected areas by healthcare providers. It's also used in ophthalmology as eye drops (1% solution) to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis. Additionally, silver nitrate can be used to treat overgranulation tissue forming around gastrostomy tubes, either by applying cauterization directly onto the tissue or using a silver dressing 1.
Some of the key applications of silver nitrate include:
- Treating warts and skin tags
- Stopping minor bleeding
- Treating canker sores
- Preventing neonatal conjunctivitis
- Treating overgranulation tissue
- Industrial applications such as silver plating, mirror production, and as a catalyst in chemical reactions.
It's essential to handle silver nitrate with care, wearing protective equipment to avoid skin stains and burns. The effectiveness of silver nitrate in tissue cauterization can be attributed to its caustic properties and ability to precipitate proteins 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
Silver Nitrate Solution 0.5% FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY. It is a topical anti-infective.
The common use of silver nitrate is as a topical anti-infective for external use only 2.
From the Research
Uses of Silver Nitrate
- Silver nitrate is used to treat cutaneous warts, with studies showing its effectiveness in treating single or few small common warts of short duration 3, 4.
- It is also used as a chemical cauterization agent, with a study demonstrating its efficacy in treating common warts in 69% of patients 4.
- Silver nitrate can be used to treat superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis, a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disease of the conjunctiva 5.
- Additionally, silver nitrate is used as a medical treatment for various other conditions, often in combination with other therapies or as an alternative to other treatments 3, 5.
Treatment of Specific Conditions
- For cutaneous warts, silver nitrate is considered a first-line therapy, especially for single or few small common warts of short duration 3.
- In the treatment of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis, silver nitrate is used as a topical treatment, and thermocauterization of the superior bulbar conjunctiva is considered an alternative treatment 5.
- Silver nitrate is not mentioned as a treatment for plantar warts in the provided studies, but other treatments such as cryotherapy and salicylic acid are discussed 6.