Pass the antidote
From paracetamol to pesticides – not to mention nerve agents – there are many toxic compounds that doctors need to be able to counteract. Nina Notman investigates
Poisonings are more common than you might think. The World Health Organization estimated that 193,460 people died worldwide from unintentional poisoning in 2012. Each year, around 160,000 people visit UK hospitals seeking help for exposure to toxic compounds, accidental and otherwise. Paracetamol overdoses are the most common type of poisoning. Countermeasures for chemical and biological weapons (sarin, chlorine and Novichok nerve agents) and toxic industrial chemicals (organophosphate pesticides) are the most active areas of antidote development.