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Accelerated HEmodiafiltration in Severe Acute Diquat (AHEAD) Poisoning

Accelerated HEmodiafiltration in Severe Acute Diquat (AHEAD) Poisoning: a Single-center, Single-arm, Open-label, Clinical Trial

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07234383
Enrollment
24
Registered
2025-11-18
Start date
2027-01-01
Completion date
2030-12-31
Last updated
2026-05-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Diquat Poisoning

Brief summary

Diquat (1,1'-ethylene-2,2'-bipyridinium) is a bipyridine herbicide that shares a similar physicochemical structure and redox cycling mechanism with paraquat. Upon ingestion, it is rapidly absorbed and distributes widely, including gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, skeletal muscle, lungs, myocardium, and central nervous system. Severe diquat poisoning commonly causes toxic encephalopathy, circulatory collapse, and multiorgan dysfunction. Extracorporeal treatments, including hemoperfusion, hemodialysis, and continuous kidney replacement therapy, are frequently used in management. Continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF), the most frequently used continuous kidney replacement therapy modality, is primarily indicated for acute kidney injury. Acute kidney injury occurs in up to 73.3% of patients with acute diquat poisoning, and nearly all patients with severe acute diquat poisoning are at risk of developing acute kidney injury. In clinical practice, patients with severe acute diquat poisoning are typically defined as those with a plasma diquat concentration of ≥1000 ng/mL measured at the time of presentation to the emergency department. However, the Extracorporeal Treatments in Poisoning (EXTRIP) workgroup has not issued any definitive recommendations on initiating extracorporeal treatments for diquat poisoning, and the optimal timing for starting CVVHDF has not been evaluated in clinical trials. Current practice typically delays CVVHDF until acute kidney injury occurs. A preliminary retrospective cohort study suggested that, among severe acute diquat poisoning patients treated with combined hemoperfusion and CVVHDF, an interval of \<30 minutes between hemoperfusion and CVVHDF was associated with a significantly lower risk of death compared with longer intervals (≥30 minutes). Accordingly, this study proposes a single-arm trial (SAT) to determine whether accelerated initiation of CVVHDF immediately following hemoperfusion improves outcomes in patients with severe acute diquat poisoning.

Interventions

CVVHDF will be delivered following hemoperfusion with a dialysate-to-replacement fluid ratio maintained at 1:1, a blood flow rate of 150-200 mL/min, and a target dialysis dose of 30 mL/kg/h (excluding additional fluid removal). Regional anticoagulation (e.g., heparin or other agent per device requirements) will be used to prevent clotting within the circuit. Once CVVHDF is initiated in either arm, it will not be discontinued until one of the following encountered: (i) death; or (ii) a change in goals of care with withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions; or (3) recovery of kidney function, as determined by treating clinician(s), such that CVVHDF will be no longer required. However, CVVHDF will be reinitiated at the discretion of treating clinician(s), if kidney function comes suboptimal after a period of discontinuation.

Sponsors

The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Age ≥ 18 years; and 2. A history of oral exposure to diquat solution, reported by patient(s) or their legal proxies; and 3. An exposure time (time form exposure to presentation at ED) ≤ 48 hours, reported by patient(s) or their legal proxies; and 4. Plasma diquat concentration measured upon ED presentation ≥ 1,000 ng/mL.

Exclusion criteria

1. Evidence of co-ingestion of other toxic substances alongside diquat; and/or 2. Withholding of CVVHDF due to limitations on the escalation of life-sustaining therapies; and/or 3. Any CKRT within the previous 2 months; and/or 4. Kidney transplant within the past 365 days; and/or 5. Known pre-hospitalization advanced chronic kidney disease, defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated using serum creatine (eGFRer) of less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, if pre-hospitalization serum creatine is available; and/or (6) Treating clinician(s) believe(s) that either immediate or deferral of CVVHDF initiation is mandated; and/or (7) Pregnant or breast feeding.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
All-cause mortality rate90 days within the index date of randomization
Time from exposure to death90 days within the index date of randomizationThe primary outcome measure included time from exposure to death.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
ICU-free days90 days within the index date of randomization
Ventilator-free days90 days within the index date of randomization
Vasoactive-free days90 days within the index date of randomization
CVVHDF dependence rate90 days within the index date of randomization
Hospitalization-free days90 days within the index date of randomization
Major adverse kidney events rate90 days within the index date of randomizationThe secondary outcome measure included major adverse kidney events at 90 days after randomization, defined as the composite of death, CVVHDF dependence, or sustained reduction of kidney function (defined as eGFR \<75% of the lowest eGFR measured during hospitalization).

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 28, 2026