Silver nitrate question

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I had a foot punch biopsy 22 days ago. The Dr used a very small amount of silver nitrate to stop the bleeding. Over the last 22 days my foot has not healed, I've had terrible pain, swelling and discharge. I was treated for infection 4 days in. They recently did an x-ray and MRI because of my pain and the lack of healing. It showed something in the shape of a circle in my foot. The Dr thinks it is the silver nitrate and that I am allergic to it. I am going in for surgery. Has anyone seen this type of reaction to silver nitrate before?

 

Fancy Feet,
Sorry you had such a poor outcome to your biopsy. My first thought is that it's not the silver nitrate that caused the problem. I'd think about other more common issues such as decreased blood supply to the area such as with diabetics or some vascular insufficiency issues. If you used Neosporin on for longer than 3 or 4 days, a common skin reaction to the cream or ointment can cause redness and irritation along the skin since it's primarily for first aid. This is often mistaken for an infection. A better choice is Bactroban or triple antibiotic ointment instead. The circle that showed up on the x-ray is probably the outline of the wound and not something pathological. Ask your doctor to explain the results of your tests more in-depth. Also, it is important you keet the area clean after the surgery and don't go into a pool or lake where germs can enter the surgical site resulting in an infection.
You may want to consult with a wound care specialist in your area for a complete workup and I'd avoid any more surgeries until you can find out the source of the original problem.
Good luck and keep me posted on your healing.
Dr. Farrer

 

Hi. Thank you for your response. At this point I have already had the next surgery. They told me my body had a allergic reaction to the silver nitrate and that caused a severe inflammatory response. They removed all the effected tissue aha stitched it up. So far it appears to be healing well. I am not a diabetic. They did x-rays yesterday as the spot that appeared before is now gone. My foot feels much better. I still have a few weeks before it will be completely healed, but I believe it's going in the right direction now. Thanks again for your response.