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Antidote

Definition

An antidote is an agent, remedy or treatment that counteracts the effect(s) of a poison or toxin.

Additional Info

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Antidotes work by a variety of mechanisms. Here are just a few examples:

Antidoes are specific to each toxin and must be carefully considered on a risk/benefit basis. Using the wrong antidote can worsen the situation. For example, inducing vomiting when someone has swallowed a strong acid will cause additional damage to the throat and esophagus on the way back up. Therefore, antidotes should only be administered with the guidance of a medical professional.

SDS Relevance

Antidotes, if applicable, will be found on Section 4 of an HCS 2012-compliant SDS and are meant for use by emergency personnel. Some antidotes are useful only for certain kinds of exposures such as skin absorption, ingestion or inhalation so administration of an antidote should only be done after contacting a poison control center or other medical professional. When seeking emergency treatment for a chemical exposure, it is very useful to take the SDS and label (if feasible and not dangerous) with you to the emergency room.

You can contact the American Association of Poison Control Centers in an emergency situation by calling (800) 222-1222 (or call your local hospital emergency room).

See the references in the poison entry for more about emergency poisoning procedures and resources.

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Further Reading

See also: activated charcoal, catharsis, emetic, highly toxic, poison.

Additional definitions from Google and OneLook.



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