Treatment How doctors helped the Skripals recover

Nerve agents block an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which regulates messages between nerves and muscles. With it blocked, muscles go into spasm, fluid enters the lungs and victims asphyxiate.

Paramedics would have first used a tranquilliser to prevent convulsions. Then doctors would administer an antidote to counteract the effect of the nerve agent, and keep the patients stable so that they could slowly get the enzyme working again in the body.