Common Drugs and Their Antidote (Part 2)

Acetylcysteine, or N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a drug that is used to treat paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose. As a liver protectant, acetylcysteine may help to avoid or lessen liver damage caused by excessive use of acetaminophen.

Calcium chloride is an antidote to the toxicity of calcium channel blockers. Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula CaCl2.

Radioactive cesium and thallium can be removed from people's bodies with Prussian blue. In the intestines, Prussian blue traps radioactive cesium and thallium to prevent them from being absorbed by the body. The radioactive materials pass through the intestines and exit the body (excrete). This helps limit the amount of radiation the body is exposed to by getting these materials out of the body.

Bleeding is the most common side effect of warfarin use. Vitamin K, prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), or fresh frozen plasma (FFP) can reverse the effects of warfarin.

In patients who have taken an intentional benzodiazepine overdose or undergoing anesthesia, flumazenil is useful in helping to reverse sedation and respiratory depression caused by benzodiazepines.

Digoxin immune fab, derived from anti-digoxin immunoglobulin fragments, is the treatment of choice for digoxin toxicity. Digibind (GlaxoSmithKline) and DigiFab (BTG plc) are its brand names.

Calcium gluconate is a mineral supplement and medicine. It is injected into a vein to treat low blood calcium, high blood potassium, and magnesium toxicity. When magnesium toxicity is severe, it is treated with intravenous administration of calcium gluconate 10% (10-20 mL) and support for the circulatory and respiratory systems. The use of calcium gluconate may reverse many of the effects of magnesium, including respiratory depression.

Pralidoxime belongs to a family of compounds known as oximes, which bind to organophosphate-inactivated acetylcholinesterase. It is used in conjunction with either diazepam or midazolam in treating organophosphate poisoning.

Dimercaprol, also known as British anti-Lewisite (BAL), is a medication used to treat acute poisoning by heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, gold, and lead.

Glucagon is the antidote for beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and hypoglycemic toxicity. As the main catabolic hormone in the body, it raises the level of glucose and fatty acids in the bloodstream.