Risk Stratification and Heterogeneity for Organ Damage in Acute Diquat Poisoning

This ambispective cohort study aims to characterize the relationship between plasma diquat concentrations and organ damage risk.

Inclusion criteria: 1. history of oral exposure to diquat solution reported by patient or proxy; 2. a specimen for the diquat plasma concentration collected immediately upon admission; 3. documentation that patients or, in case of unconsciousness of the patient, legal proxies were aware of and agreed to treatment plans. Exclusion criteria: 1. they had ingested other toxins in addition to diquat (qualitative toxicological screening tests); 2. diquat was not detected in specimens, or plasma concentration data were unavailable; 3. patients with an exposure time (time from exposure to emergency department presentation) longer than 48 hours; 4. data on organ damage were not unavailable; 5. combined with other central nervous system injuries other than toxic encephalopathy.