Advice to the reader
This resource is not an authoritative reference. It is a quick reference guide meant to be used as an information resource for the majority of antidotes recommended by Canadian Poison Control Centres. The intended users of this resource are Canadian healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists and nurses.
When caring for the poisoned patient, consultation with your local poison control centre or other resources and references do not replace clinical judgment. In light of the possibility of human error or changes in medical science, the authors of this guide cannot guarantee the that the information contained herein is in every way accurate or complete, and they disclaim all responsibility for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from use of the information contained within this resource.
Any reader of this guide who discovers an error is asked to communicate directly with us by e-mail. If applicable, corrections will be made as soon as possible.
Printing the monographs for the purpose of archiving them is not advisable. Periodic updates to the monographs in this guide will occur as new information becomes available. For the latest version, it is preferable to consult the monographs accessible on the website.
About us
Canadian poison control centres have reached consensus on the use of the antidotes listed in this guide. The goal of this national collaboration is to standardize practices while making information easily accessible to clinicians at the patient's bedside. For more information on the various Canadian Poison Control Centres, see the Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres (CAPCC) website, a link is available in the CONTACT section of this guide.
Abbreviations and acronyms
D5W – Dextrose 5 % in water injectable
D5W+NS – Dextrose 5 % in water with sodium chloride 0,9% solution injectable
D5W+1/2NS – Dextrose 5 % in water with sodium chloride 0,45 % solution injectable
D5W+1/4NS – Dextrose 5 % in water with sodium chloride 0,2% solution injectable
D10W – Dextrose 10 % in water injectable
SWFI – Sterile water for injection
IM – Intramuscular route of administration
IO – Intraosseous route of administration
IV – Intravenous route of administration
KCl – Potassium chloride injectable
LR – Lactated Riger’s solution injectable
NAC – N- acetylcysteine
N.A. – Not available
MVI – Multivitamin injectable
NS – NaCl 0,9 %, Normal Saline, sodium chloride 0,9% solution injectable
1/2NS – NaCl 0,45 %, sodium chloride 0,45 % solution injectable
1/4NS – NaCl 0,2 %, sodium chloride 0,2% solution injectable
PO – Oral route of administration
INR – International normalized ratio
SC – Subcutaneous route of administration
NGT – Nasogastric tube
