An antidote is defined as what?

An antidote is defined as what?

• A. A drug that enhances drug action
• B. A drug given to cause side effects
• C. A drug that is used to treat infection
• D. A drug given to reverse effects of a previously given drug

Answer: (D)

An antidote is a substance that counteracts the harmful effects of another drug or poison, often by neutralizing it or blocking its action. This is why the best description is a drug given to reverse the effects of a previously given drug—it's aimed at undoing or reducing the harm caused by that earlier medication. For example, naloxone reverses opioid overdoses, protamine reverses heparin, and vitamin K reverses warfarin's anticoagulant effect. The other descriptions don’t fit: a drug that enhances action isn’t an antidote, a drug given to cause side effects isn’t about counteracting harm, and a drug used to treat infection is an antibiotic, not an antidote.

An antidote is a substance that counteracts the harmful effects of another drug or poison, often by neutralizing it or blocking its action. This is why the best description is a drug given to reverse the effects of a previously given drug—it's aimed at undoing or reducing the harm caused by that earlier medication. For example, naloxone reverses opioid overdoses, protamine reverses heparin, and vitamin K reverses warfarin's anticoagulant effect. The other descriptions don’t fit: a drug that enhances action isn’t an antidote, a drug given to cause side effects isn’t about counteracting harm, and a drug used to treat infection is an antibiotic, not an antidote.