Squaric Acid Treatment for Warts
The doctor would like to treat your child’s warts with squaric acid (squaric acid dibutyl ester). This is a very dilute liquid that causes a mild allergic reaction in the skin. This causes the warts to go away.
To start treatment with squaric acid, the patient must first be “sensitized” to the solution. We will do this during your child’s clinic visit by putting a small amount of 2% squaric acid on the inner arm. Most often, there is no reaction, although sometimes there may be a mild redness of the skin in that area. This does not mean that the acid is not working right.
The prescription you receive will be for a much lower-strength squaric acid (0.3 to l %). Two weeks after the first treatment with the squaric acid in our office, you will begin to apply squaric acid to all of your child's warts at home.
Start applying the squaric acid on: ____________________
You should always wear gloves when you handle and apply the squaric acid. It will be in a bottle which is then placed in a pill bottle. Put the gloves on before you remove the liquid bottle from the pill bottle. Apply a small amount of squaric acid to the warts only, using a Q-tip®. When finished, remove the gloves while keeping hold of the Q-tip®, turning the glove inside out. This way the Q-tip® stays inside and will keep other members of the household from coming into contact with the discarded items.
To start with, the squaric acid should be applied 3 times per week. The best time to apply it is at night. The goal of treatment is to have some mild redness of the warts. But you do not want to cause a reaction that makes your child feel pain or marked itching. You may slowly increase how often you apply the acid to daily as tolerated. For example, after 1 week increase the medicine to 4 nights each week. After another week increase to 5 nights a week. If your child has a lot of itching or soreness, do not increase the rate.
Remember that some redness is needed for the medicine to work. This treatment takes weeks to months before you may see results. Not every treatment for warts works with every patient. When you follow up with the doctor, we will discuss other treatment options if this does not seem to be working. Or, we may have to combine this treatment with others.
Where to Get Squaric Acid
Squaric acid is a specialty formulation and is not found everywhere. You will most likely find the ________________Pharmacy the most convenient place to get this medicine. The pharmacy is____________________________. The phone number is_____________. The pharmacy hours are ___________________.
After dropping off your prescription, you should allow 24 to 48 hours for them to make the solution. Please call the pharmacy to ensure that it is ready before pick up. You will receive the solution in a bottle, which will be inside a childproof pill bottle. Please keep the squarer acid bottle inside the childproof second bottle, to decrease the risk of a child accidentally coming in contact with it or drinking the solution.
The squaric acid must be refrigerated and is good for 6 months. After 6 months, it should be thrown away.
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UW Dermatology Department 1 S. Park St 7th Floor Madison, WI 53715 Clinic: 608 287-2450 |
American Family Children’s Hospital Pediatric Dermatology Specialty Clinic 1675 Highland Ave. Madison, WI 53792 Clinic: 608 263-6420 |
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 07/24/2008
Copyright © 04/24/2007 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. UWH #6497
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