Arterial lactate as a predictor of mortality in emergency department patients with paraquat intoxication.

Context: Plasma paraquat concentration is recognized as the best prognostic indicator in patients with acute paraquat poisoning, but it cannot be measured in many hospitals due to limited medical resources. By contrast, arterial lactate is easily obtainable, even in local hospitals.

Objective: To evaluate whether initial arterial lactate concentration is a good predictor of mortality in patients with acute paraquat poisoning.