WHO steps in after India cough syrup deaths: DEG poisoning risk to kidney and liver

Diethylene glycol (DEG) poisoning is a serious health threat that has caused mass deaths worldwide, including tragic incidents in India. Found in industrial chemicals, antifreeze, and sometimes contaminated medicines, DEG can silently damage your kidneys, liver, and even nervous system. Understanding its effects, symptoms, and treatment is crucial for preventing permanent organ damage or death.

India has been rocked by a tragic series of cough syrup deaths, mostly affecting children. Reports suggest that some medicines were contaminated with toxic chemicals like diethylene glycol (DEG), which should never be in medicines. Families are devastated, and doctors are warning parents to be extra cautious. The government and health authorities are investigating how these unsafe syrups made it to shelves and how such a preventable tragedy could happen. Public trust in pharmaceutical safety is shaken, and urgent steps are being called for to regulate medicines, ensure quality checks, and prevent further deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is now stepping in after the tragic cough syrup deaths in India, seeking answers from local authorities and pharmaceutical companies. They want clarity on what exactly went wrong — was it diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination, poor regulation, or something else entirely? The WHO’s goal is to make sure this doesn’t happen again and to guide safe medicine practices. Families and doctors are looking for transparency, and the world is watching closely.

DEG is a colorless, odorless industrial chemical used in antifreeze, solvents, and plastics. On its own, it’s only mildly toxic, but once ingested, the body metabolizes it into diglycolic acid (DGA), a highly toxic compound that damages the kidneys and liver, and in severe cases, leads to multi-organ failure.

The kidneys are the primary target of DEG toxicity. DGA accumulates in the proximal tubule cells, causing cell death and blocking urine flow. This can trigger acute kidney injury (AKI), often within days of ingestion.
Symptoms to watch for: little or no urine output, swelling and confusion, nausea and vomiting, rapidly worsening kidney function (high creatinine and urea levels). Without prompt dialysis, kidney failure from DEG can be fatal. In some cases, calcium oxalate crystals further worsen the damage.

While the kidneys take the brunt of the damage, the liver can also be affected, especially in people with pre-existing liver conditions.
What happens: Mild, temporary changes in liver enzymes and bilirubin are common. High doses or combined kidney-liver damage can trigger serious liver injury. DGA and other metabolites can deplete energy in liver cells, causing oxidative stress and necrosis.
Severe liver injury often occurs secondary to kidney failure, as toxic buildup in the blood stresses the liver further.

DEG poisoning isn’t just about kidneys and liver. It can also affect the nervous system, causing: confusion, weakness, seizures or coma. Metabolic acidosis, caused by toxic metabolite buildup, worsens organ injury and contributes to multi-organ failure if not treated quickly.

Despite decades of known risk, DEG contamination continues in poorly regulated pharmaceuticals and industrial products. Recent cough syrup deaths in India highlight the urgent need for strong regulations, quality control, and public awareness.