Antidotes self-administration

In case of adverse reaction, get medical help. Yohimbe is legal, so it s no bust to see a doctor. Sodium amytal is the best antidote for yohimbe poisoning, but let a physician do it. Self-administration of barbs during a panic is mighty dangerous. Most people overdo it. 

The most important care for a chemical casualty is that provided within the first few minutes. This cannot be provided by medical personnel and must be done by each individual. This self-aid includes decontamination and the self-administration of the antidote kit if exposure was to a nerve agent. 

From the legal standpoint, in many, if not all, states in the United States, a laboratory may not provide any first aid equipment or antidotes which must be administered orally, by injection, or by inhalation, unless this be done by a physician. Self-administration is done at the risk of the individual, administration of antidotes by a lab partner or other nonmedical individual might subject that person to the most serious legal difficulties under both civil and criminal law. 

Inhalation Move victims to fresh air. Emergency personnel should avoid self-exposure to amiton. Evaluate vital signs including pulse and respiratory rate, and note any trauma. If no pulse is detected, provide CPR. If not breathing, provide artificial respiration. If breathing is labored, administer 100% humidified oxygen or other respiratory support. Obtain authorization and/or further instructions from the local hospital for administration of an antidote or performance of other invasive procedures. Transport to a health care facility. 

In the late 1940s, atropine was chosen as the standard antidote despite extensive searches for other antidotes since, it has remained the standard. A dose of 2 mg was chosen for self- or buddy-administration (the AtroPen automatic injector included in the MARK I kit contains 2 mg) because it reverses the effects of nerve agents, the associated side effects of a dose this size can be tolerated, and reasonably normal performance can be maintained by the individual receiving it. The rationale for this choice of dose was expressed (in the unclassified portion of a classified document) as follows ... 

In the stress of a chemical environment, even well-trained military personnel will not be uniformly successful in performing such tasks as self- and buddy-administration of nerve agent antidotes.1... 

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