While snake bite poisoning occurs more in underdeveloped and rural areas, poisoning mortality in the developed world is caused majorly by chemicals and drug overdose as well as accidental poisoning in children. These estimated figures are likely higher as only less than 5% of poisoning deaths are reported to poison control centres. Annually, more than 125,000 deaths have also been attributed to snake envenomation. Further, the recent amazon fires sent thousands of citizens of the surrounding countries to hospital due to carbon monoxide poisoning and it was reported that German hospitals treated 205,000 acute poisoning patients in 2011. Similarly, over 3000 poisoning deaths are reported yearly in Korea. In the United States of America alone, one poisoning case is reported every 14.9 seconds, of which 9% are said to be critical. Globally, 20 persons are estimated to die from toxins/poisons every 40 minutes. Unintentional poisoning or self-poisoning in addition to envenomation by several species of snakes are major causes of death in the world, causing thousands of deaths every year. Poisons are substances that cause injury to or death of living tissues when swallowed, injected or inhaled. While pockets of evidence of the effectiveness of antidotes exist in vitro and in vivo with ample biotechnological developments, the utilization of analytic assays on existing and newly developed antidotes that have surpassed the proof of concept stage, as well as the inclusion of antidote’s short and long-term risk assessment report, will help in providing the required scientific evidence(s) prior to regulatory authorities’ approval. This review presents the scope of antidotes’ effectiveness in different experimental models and biotechnological advancements in antidote research for future applications.
While there are resources and facilities to tackle poisoning in urban areas, rural areas and developing countries are challenged with poisoning management due to either the absence of or inadequate facilities and this has paved the way for phyto-antidotes, some of which have been scientifically validated. Since the advent of Albert Calmette’s cobra venom antidote, efforts have been geared towards antidotes development for various poisons to date.
Poisoning is the greatest source of avoidable death in the world and can result from industrial exhausts, incessant bush burning, drug overdose, accidental toxication or snake envenomation.
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