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Poisoning and overdose are very important aspects in medicine and toxicology. Chemical weapons pose a threat to civilians, and emergency medicine principles must be followed when dealing with patients who have been poisoned or overdosed. Antidotes have been used for centuries and modern research has led to the development of new antidotes that can accelerate the elimination of toxins from the body. Although some antidotes have become less relevant due to modern intensive care techniques, they can still save lives or reduce the severity of toxicity. The availability of antidotes is crucial, especially in developing countries where intensive care facilities may be limited. This article aims to provide information on specific antidotes, their recommended uses, and potential risks and new uses. In the case of poisoning, supportive therapies are most often used; however, in many cases, the administration of an appropriate antidote saves the patient's life. In this review, we reviewed the literature on selected antidotes used in the treatment of poisonings. We also characterised the antidotes (bio)chemically. We described the cases in which they are used together with the dosage recommendations. We also analysed the mechanisms of action. In addition, we described alternative methods of using a given substance as a drug, an example of which is N-acetylcysteine, which can be used in the treatment of COVID-19. This article was written as part of the implementation of the project of the Polish Ministry of Education and Science, "Toxicovigilance, poisoning prevention, and first aid in poisoning with xenobiotics of current clinical importance in Poland", grant number SKN/SP/570184/2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aim. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) include Crohn's disease. The etiology has not been fully elucidated, however, one pathomechanism is an abnormal immune response. It is likely led by a complex relationship between genetic susceptibility, environmental factors and the gut microbiota. Clinical manifestations during disease exacerbations include abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea and weight loss, which can negatively affect patients' quality of life. Treatment of the disease is multidirectional, and one of the therapeutic options is biological therapy, which includes drugs, such as infliximab, adalimumab, natalizumab, certolizumab, etc. The mechanism of action of adalimumab is to block the connection between tumor necrosis factor alpha and its receptor on the cell, which reduces inflammation, while ustekinumab inhibits interleukin-12 and -23, leading to a reduction in the production of cytokines and inflammatory factors. Description of the case. The patient began his medical history in 2009, when he was admitted to the hospital with persistent abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. During his hospitalization, he underwent repeated laboratory and imaging tests. He was subjected to such therapy, which included the administration of monoclonal antibodies: infliximab, vedolizumab, adalimumab, ustekinumab. After each of the above-mentioned drugs, no satisfactory immune response was achieved. The longest remission, which lasted about 2 years, was achieved after administration of adalimumab. Conclusion. After the patient's clinical condition deteriorated, it was decided, with the approval of the bioethics committee, to start treatment with two biologic drugs. Improvement in the patient's condition was observed after three months when adalimumab and ustekinumab were administered simultaneously. Both of these drugs are described in the scientific literature and used in the treatment of moderate to severe forms of CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]