Secondary Care:- Potassium permanganate concentrate should always be prescribed for a named patient by a specialist in dermatology, a clinician working under the guidance of a dermatologist, or specialist tissue viability staff only.

 

Note:  A risk assessment must be completed if potassium permanganate is to be used in a patient's home.

 

Potassium permanganate is for external use only. Oral ingestion can cause fatality due to local inflammatory reactions that block the airways or cause perforations of the gastrointestinal tract, or through toxicity and organ failure. Potassium permanganate is subject to the requirements of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health including: separate storage, additional hazard labelling, and issue only to staff and patients who have been educated to understand its safe use. Accidental ingestion should be treated as a medical emergency.