Prussian blue | |
Clinical data | |
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Trade names | Radiogardase, others |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
Routes of administration | by mouth |
ATC code | |
Identifiers | |
CAS Number | |
PubChem CID | |
ChemSpider | |
UNII | |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C18Fe7N18 |
Molar mass | 859.24 |
Prussian blue, also known as potassium ferric hexacyanoferrate, is used as a medication to treat thallium poisoning or radioactive caesium poisoning. [1] [2] For thallium it may be used in addition to gastric lavage, activated charcoal, forced diuresis, and hemodialysis. [3] [4] It is given by mouth or nasogastric tube. [2] [4] Prussian blue is also used in the urine to test for G6PD deficiency. [5]
Side effects may include constipation, low blood potassium, and stools that are dark. [1] [3] With long-term use, sweat may turn blue. [3] It mainly works by trapping the toxic monovalent cations in its crystal lattice after ion-exchange with potassium or ammonium cations and thus preventing the absorption of thallium and radio-caesium from the intestines. [3]
Prussian blue was developed around 1706. [6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. [7] As of 2016 [update] , it is only approved for medical use in Germany, the United States, and Japan. [8] [9] [10] Access to medical-grade Prussian blue can be difficult in many areas of the world including the developed world. [11]
Prussian blue is used to treat thallium poisoning or radioactive caesium poisoning. [1] [2] [12] It may also be used for exposure to radioactive material until the underlying type is determined. [3] [ clarification needed ]
Often it is given with mannitol or sorbitol to increase the speed it moves through the intestines. [4]
Prussian blue is also used to detect hemosiderin in urine to confirm a diagnosis of G6PD deficiency. [5]
For thallium it may be used in addition to gastric lavage, forced diuresis, and hemodialysis. [3]
It is given until the amount of thallium in the urine drops to below 0.5 mg per day. [4]
It is specifically only used for radioactive caesium poisoning when the caesium has entered the body either by swallowing or breathing it in. [4]