This should not be confused with the use of a tourniquet which cuts off blood flow completely – often leading to the loss of the limb. Poisons which are injected into the body (such as those from bites or stings from venomous animals) are usually treated by the use of a constriction band which limits the flow of lymph and/or blood to the area, thus slowing the circulation of the poison around the body. Ingested poisons are frequently treated by the oral administration of activated charcoal, which adsorbs the poison and flushes it from the digestive tract, thereby removing a large part of the toxin.

For example, the poison batrachotoxin – a highly poisonous steroidal alkaloid derived from various poison dart frogs, certain beetles, and birds – has no antidote, and as a result, is often fatal if it enters the human body in sufficient quantities. Some other toxins have no known antidote. Some animal venoms, especially those produced by arthropods (such as certain spiders, scorpions, and bees) are only potentially lethal when they provoke allergic reactions and induce anaphylactic shock as such, there is no 'antidote' for these venoms however anaphylactic shock can be treated (e.g. This results in an antivenom that can be used to counteract venom produced by certain species of snakes, spiders, and other venomous animals. The antidotes for some particular toxins are manufactured by injecting the toxin into an animal in small doses and extracting the resulting antibodies from the host animals' blood. Antidotes for anticoagulants are sometimes referred to as reversal agents.

The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον (pharmakon) antidoton, '(medicine) given as a remedy'. For other uses, see Antidote (disambiguation).Īn antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning.

Define antidote