Acute diquat poisoning in children: a single-center retrospective observational study

Background Acute diquat poisoning can cause multi-organ dysfunction and even death. The dose-effect relationship and multi-organ injury patterns of diquat poisoning in children remain unclear. Objective This study analyzed 58 pediatric cases to systematically characterize clinical features and investigate the relationship between intake dose, organ injury patterns and prognosis. Methods Patients were divided into three groups according to the volume of diquat ingested: group A (≤20 mL, n = 24), group B (21–50 mL, n = 15), and group C (>50 mL, n = 19). General clinical information, incidence of organ injury, laboratory tests at three time points (0–24 h [T1], 48–72 h [T2], and 5–7d [T3] after admission), and prognosis were compared. Results Dose-dependent multi-organ injury was observed. Specifically, the incidences of acute kidney, liver, gastrointestinal and central nervous system injuries all increased significantly with the increase of dose (all p < 0.05). At the laboratory level, early inflammatory parameters and metabolic acidosis parameters also showed dose-dependent significant increases (all trends p < 0.05), and the indicators related to liver and kidney function injury reached their peak 48–72 h after admission. The incidence and severity of multiple organ damage in children with acute diquat poisoning are dose-dependent. Early severe inflammation and metabolic acidosis are key features of this condition. All seven fatalities occurred in group C, and the intake dose was 100–200 mL. Conclusions Acute diquat poisoning in children appears to be dangerous, and the occurrence and severity of multiple organ damage are correlated with the intake dose. Early intense inflammation and metabolic acidosis appear to be important features of this disease.