antidote /an″tidōt/ [Gk, anti + dotos, that which is given] , a drug or other substance that opposes the action of a poison. An antidote may be mechanical, such as activated charcoal, which absorbs poisons in the GI tract and prevents their absorption; chemical, acting to neutralize the toxin; or physiological, acting to oppose the action of the poison, as when a sedative is given to a person who has ingested a large amount of a stimulant or when a receptor blocker is administered to a person who has taken a large dose of the receptor agonist.
