Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate silver absorption in blood and hair specimens after septal cauterization with silver nitrate and to discuss the potential toxicity of silver.
Method: A prospective study of 11 volunteers without any known occupational exposure to silver products or past history of septal cauterization with silver nitrate was undertaken. Subjects were recruited in an academic tertiary care centre from October 1996 to September 1997. The study population consisted of five patients with anterior epistaxis and six healthy volunteers without any bleeding problem. Cauterization was done with one or two silver nitrate applicators directly on the bleeding vessel or Kiesselbach's area. Blood was sampled before cauterization and at specified times after application, while hair strands were sampled only 3 months later. Measurements of silver concentration in whole blood and in hair segments were obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
Results: Silver concentrations in whole blood increased significantly after cauterization (p = .02). The measured peak level seemed to correlate with the number of applicators used. No significant increase in silver concentration was observed in hair samples.
Conclusions: Effective silver absorption occurs with only one or two silver nitrate applicators. Hair has not been as reliable as whole blood to document an acute and fragmentary exposure. The indiscriminate use of silver nitrate is a potential source of silver intoxication.