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Antidotes for Emergency Treatment of Poisonings

 

Arizona Regional Poison Centers 1-800-222-1222

Antidotes for Emergency Treatment of Poisonings

These recommendations are guidelines. Definitive
recommendations for specific patients are best discussed
with your regional poison center or a Medical Toxicologist.

All listed ‘antidotes’ are associated with risks and side effects.  Consider the risk to benefit ratio before use is all cases.

Call 1-800-222-1222 for immediate assistance or patient transfer.

Decontamination  Use / Indication  Comment / Dose
Activated Charcoal
(without sorbitol)
Consider use within one hour of a life threatening ingestion  1 g/kg (up to 100g)
Other Decontamination Techniques
(e.g. multidose charcoal, dialysis etc) 
Discuss specific indications with
your regional poison center 
 


Antidote Use / Indication  Comment / Dose 

Recommended Stocking Amount

Antivenom- Blackwidow Spider  Latrodectus envenomation  1 vial   Consider having
1 vial
Antivenom – Rattlesnake:
(CroFab®)
Crotalidae envenomation
(rattlesnake, copperhead, water moccasin) 
4 to 6 vial LD, then 2 vials every 6 hrs for 18 hrs  18 vials
Atropine Organophosphates / Carbamates toxicity  Adults 1-5mg (children 0.02 mg/kg).  Repeated, escalating doses as needed for airway secretions every 1-3 mins  150 mg
Benzodiazepines Seizures, Agitation, Sympathomimetic toxicity.  Ethanol (GABA-agonist) withdrawal  Dosing varies greatly. Repeated, escalating doses as needed for hyperadrenergic signs every 5-10 mins 
 
Botulinum antitoxin  Botulism Discuss with your
regional poison center 
Contact local health department or cdc.org
Calcium salts
(gluconate or chloride
Hydrofluoric acid exposure;
B-blocker, CCB toxicity 
Discuss with your
regional poison center 
200 mEq
(20 X 10ml 10% aliquots)
Cyanide Antidote Kit
Or
Hydroxocobalamin
Cyanide toxicity  Follow package insert
2 kits
Or
10 grams
Deferoxamine mesylate  Iron toxicity  15 mg/kg/hr 

8.4 grams

Dextrose (in water) 

Hypoglycemia

 

As needed for hypoglycemia, consider a drip   
Digoxin Immune Fab  Digoxin / Cardioglycoside toxicity  Discuss with your
regional poison center 
15 vials
Dimercaprol (BAL)  Heavy metal toxicity
(arsenic, copper, gold, lead, mercury) 
Discuss with your
regional poison center 
280 mg
DMSA (Succimer) Heavy metal toxicity
(arsenic, copper, gold, lead, mercury, zinc) 
Discuss with your
regional poison center 
1 gram
EDTA
(calcium disodium EDTA)
Heavy metal toxicity  Discuss with your
regional poison center 
1 gram
Ethanol  Ethylene glycol / Methanol toxicity  Oral or IV; LD, then
maintenance dose required 
1 L of 10% ethanol
(oral ethanol should also be available)
 Folinic acid  Methanol, methotrexate toxicity  Dosing varies;
50 mg IV q 4 hrs for methanol 
 
Fomepizole  Ethylene glycol, Methanol toxicity  LD: 15 mg/kg, then 10mg/kg q 12 hrs x 48 hrs, then 15 mg/kg q 12 hrs until level < 20 mg/dL  4 X 1.5 mL vials, 1g/mL
Glucagon B-blocker, CCB toxicity   LD: 50-100 mcg/kg IVP, then 1-5 mg/hr drip  50 mg
Methylene blue  Methemoglobinemia Rule out existing G6PD def.
1-2 mg/kg IV over 5 mins, may repeat in 30mins If needed 
280 mg
 N-acetylcysteine  Acetaminophen toxicity,
Drug-induced hepatic injury 
IV preferred but oral acceptable. Follow package insert or contact poison center  21 g of IV formulation or 93.1 g for oral use
Naloxone Narcotic toxicity  Dilute 2mg in 10mL NSS and titrate to effect. May lead to withdrawal   30 mg
Octreotide Sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia  1mcg/kg IV or SQ q 12 hrs.
Observe patient > 24 hrs 
1 mg
 Physostigmine  Anticholinergic toxicity  Consider seizure risk.
1-2 mg (children 0.02 mg/kg up to 0.5mg) IV over 5 mins; may repeat once if needed
8 mg
(4 X 2mL ampules)
 Phytonadione
(vitamin K1)
Anticoagulant toxicity
(e.g. warfarin, anticoagulant pesticides)
Consider pt’s need for anticoagulation.
Doses vary; contact poison center 
 
Pralidoxime (2-PAM) Organophosphate toxicity  1-2 g (children 25-50 mg/kg) IV over 30 minutes. Repeated (or maintenance) doses usually required 2 gram
Protamine  Heparin, Enoxaparin toxicity  Doses vary; 1mg will reverse ~ 100mg of heparin (or 100 antifactor Xa units) 
 
Pyridoxine
(vitamin B-6)
Ethylene glycol, isoniazid, Gyromitra toxicity  Dosing varies; 1g per g of INH
(up to 5g), 50 mg q 6 hrs x 4 for ethylene glycol 
10 gram
Sodium bicarbonate  Cyclic antidepressants, salicylate toxicity; serum alkalinization Varies by indication. 1-2mEq/kg for acidosis or QRS widening 10 x 150 mEq ampules

 

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