Diquat poisoning leads to ARDS: report of two cases

Abstract

Diquat (DQ) is a non-selective, foliage-applied herbicide that is known to cause liver and kidney damage, while the impact on the lungs is relatively mild. Current domestic and international reports on diquat poisoning primarily focus on liver and kidney injuries, with limited documentation of cases leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and lung damage. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of two documented cases of diquat poisoning, both exhibiting ARDS. In both cases, the condition rapidly progressed upon the onset of ARDS despite aggressive treatment, ultimately resulting in the death of the patients.