Skip to content
naulon

No retraction, correction or concern found when last checked on Oct 31, 2026.

Clinical use of lactate monitoring in critically ill patients

Jan Bakker, Maarten WN Nijsten, Tim C Jansen

Annals of Intensive Care · 2013 · Review · CC BY-NC-ND

doi:10.1186/2110-5820-3-12

Abstract

Increased blood lactate levels (hyperlactataemia) are common in critically ill patients. Although frequently used to diagnose inadequate tissue oxygenation, other processes not related to tissue oxygenation may increase lactate levels. Especially in critically ill patients, increased glycolysis may be an important cause of hyperlactataemia. Nevertheless, the presence of increased lactate levels has important implications for the morbidity and mortality of the hyperlactataemic patients. Although the term lactic acidosis is frequently used, a significant relationship between lactate and pH only exists at higher lactate levels. The term lactate associated acidosis is therefore more appropriate. Two recent studies have underscored the importance of monitoring lactate levels and adjust treatment to the change in lactate levels in early resuscitation. As lactate levels can be measured rapidly at the bedside from various sources, structured lactate measurements should be incorporated in resuscitation protocols.

Shown for reading. Its publisher allows quoting it, not republishing it.

References 74

  1. 1.

    Kompanje EJ Jansen TC van der Hoven B Bakker J The first demonstration of lactic acid in human blood in shock by Johann Joseph Scherer (1814–1869) in January 1843Intensive Care Med2007 31119671971

    Not in our library10.1007/s00134-007-0788-7

  2. 2.

    Araki T Ueber die Bildung von Milchsäure und Glycose im Organismus bei SauerstoffmangelZ Physiol Chem1891 3335370

    Not in our library

  3. 3.

    Leverve XM Energy metabolism in critically ill patients: lactate is a major oxidizable substrateCurr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care1999 32165169

    Not in our library10.1097/00075197-199903000-00013

  4. 4.

    Brooks GA Lactate shuttles in natureBiochem Soc Trans2002 32258264

    Not in our library

  5. 5.

    Zilva JF The origin of the acidosis in hyperlactataemiaAnn Clin Biochem1978 314043

    Not in our library10.1177/000456327801500111

  6. 6.

    Stewart PA Modern quantitative acid–base chemistryCan J Physiol Pharmacol1983 31214441461

    Not in our library10.1139/y83-207

  7. 7.
  8. 8.

    Fall PJ Szerlip HM Lactic acidosis: from sour milk to septic shockJ Intensive Care Med2005 35255271

    Not in our library10.1177/0885066605278644

  9. 9.

    Cain SM Appearance of excess lactate in anesthetized dogs during anemic and hypoxic hypoxiaAm J Physiol1965 3604608

    Not in our library10.1152/ajplegacy.1965.209.3.604

  10. 10.

    Zhang H Vincent JL Oxygen extraction is altered by endotoxin during tamponade-induced stagnant hypoxia in the dogCirc Shock J1 - CS1993 33168176

    Not in our library

  11. 11.

    Bakker J Vincent J-L The oxygen supply dependency phenomenon is associated with increased blood lactate levelsJ Crit Care1991 3152159

    Not in our library10.1016/0883-9441(91)90006-f

  12. 12.

    Ronco JJ Fenwick JC Tweeddale MG Wiggs BR Phang PT Cooper DJ Cunningham KF Russell JA Walley KR Identification of the critical oxygen delivery for anaerobic metabolism in critically ill septic and nonseptic humansJAMA1993 31417241730

    Not in our library10.1001/jama.1993.03510140084034

  13. 13.

    Friedman G De Backer D Shahla M Vincent JL Oxygen supply dependency can characterize septic shockIntensive Care Med1998 32118123

    Not in our library10.1007/s001340050531

  14. 14.

    De Backer D Creteur J Dubois MJ Sakr Y Koch M Verdant C Vincent JL The effects of dobutamine on microcirculatory alterations in patients with septic shock are independent of its systemic effectsCrit Care Med2006 32403408

    Not in our library10.1097/01.ccm.0000198107.61493.5a

  15. 15.

    Leverve XM From tissue perfusion to metabolic marker: assessing organ competition and co-operation in critically ill patients?Intensive Care Med1999 39890892

    Not in our library10.1007/s001340050976

  16. 16.

    Levy B Sadoune LO Gelot AM Bollaert PE Nabet P Larcan A Evolution of lactate/pyruvate and arterial ketone body ratios in the early course of catecholamine-treated septic shock [see comments]Crit Care Med2000 31114119

    Not in our library10.1097/00003246-200001000-00019

  17. 17.

    Levy B Bollaert PE Charpentier C Nace L Audibert G Bauer P Nabet P Larcan A Comparison of norepinephrine and dobutamine to epinephrine for hemodynamics, lactate metabolism, and gastric tonometric variables in septic shock: a prospective, randomized studyIntensive Care Med1997 33282287

    Not in our library10.1007/s001340050329

  18. 18.

    Weil MH Tang W Forty-five-year evolution of stat blood and plasma lactate measurement to guide critical careClin Chem2009 31120532054

    Not in our library10.1373/clinchem.2009.133553

  19. 19.

    Griffith FR Jr Lockwood JE Emery FE Adrenalin lactacidemia: proportionality with doseAm J Physiol1939 33415421

    Not in our library

  20. 20.

    Zborowska-Sluis DT Dossetor JB Hyperlactatemia of hyperventilationJ Appl Physiol J1 - JAP1967 34746755

    Not in our library10.1152/jappl.1967.22.4.746

  21. 21.

    McMahon M Gerich J Rizza R Effects of glucocorticoids on carbohydrate metabolismDiabetes Metab Rev1988 311730

    Not in our library10.1002/dmr.5610040105

  22. 22.

    Warburg O On respiratory impairment in cancer cellsScience1956 33215269270

    Not in our library

  23. 23.

    Levy B Gibot S Franck P Cravoisy A Bollaert PE Relation between muscle Na+K+ ATPase activity and raised lactate concentrations in septic shock: a prospective studyLancet2005 39462871875

    Not in our library10.1016/s0140-6736(05)71045-x

  24. 24.

    Levy B Desebbe O Montemont C Gibot S Increased aerobic glycolysis through beta-2 stimulation is a common mechanism involved in lactate formation during shock statesShock2008 34417421

    Not in our library10.1097/shk.0b013e318167378f

  25. 25.

    Taylor DJ Faragher EB Evanson JM Inflammatory cytokines stimulate glucose uptake and glycolysis but reduce glucose oxidation in human dermal fibroblasts in vitroCirc Shock1992 32105110

    Not in our library

  26. 26.

    McCarter FD Evans JA Luchette FA Friend LA James JH Davis K Frame SB Concurrent reduction of glycogenolysis, glycolysis, and Na(+)/K(+) pump activity after hemorrhagic shockCurr Surg2000 36639

    Not in our library10.1016/s0149-7944(00)00362-7

  27. 27.

    Luchette FA Friend LA Brown CC Upputuri RK James JH Increased skeletal muscle Na+, K+-ATPase activity as a cause of increased lactate production after hemorrhagic shockJ Trauma1998 35796801discussion 801–793

    Not in our library10.1097/00005373-199805000-00010

  28. 28.

    Haji-Michael PG Ladriere L Sener A Vincent JL Malaisse WJ Leukocyte glycolysis and lactate output in animal sepsis and ex vivo human bloodMetabolism1999 36779785

    Not in our library10.1016/s0026-0495(99)90179-8

  29. 29.

    Brealey D Brand M Hargreaves I Heales S Land J Smolenski R Davies NA Cooper CE Singer M Association between mitochondrial dysfunction and severity and outcome of septic shockLancet2002 39328219223

    Not in our library10.1016/s0140-6736(02)09459-x

  30. 30.

    Crouser ED Julian MW Blaho DV Pfeiffer DR Endotoxin-induced mitochondrial damage correlates with impaired respiratory activityCrit Care Med2002 32276284

    Not in our library10.1097/00003246-200202000-00002

  31. 31.

    Didwania A Miller J Kassel D Jackson EVJ Chernow B Effect of intravenous lactated Ringer’s solution infusion on the circulating lactate concentration: Part 3. Results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialCrit Care Med1997 31118511854

    Not in our library10.1097/00003246-199711000-00024

  32. 32.

    Levraut J Ciebiera JP Jambou P Ichai C Labib Y Grimaud D Effect of continuous venovenous hemofiltration with dialysis on lactate clearance in critically ill patientsCrit Care Med1997 315862

    Not in our library10.1097/00003246-199701000-00013

  33. 33.

    Cole L Bellomo R Baldwin I Hayhoe M Ronco C The impact of lactate-buffered high-volume hemofiltration on acid–base balanceIntensive Care Med2003 3711131120

    Not in our library10.1007/s00134-003-1812-1

  34. 34.

    Bollmann MD Revelly JP Tappy L Berger MM Schaller MD Cayeux MC Martinez A Chiolero RL Effect of bicarbonate and lactate buffer on glucose and lactate metabolism during hemodiafiltration in patients with multiple organ failureIntensive Care Med2004 3611031110

    Not in our library10.1007/s00134-004-2251-3

  35. 35.

    Lalau JD Lacroix C Compagnon P de Cagny B Rigaud JP Bleichner G Chauveau P Dulbecco P Guerin C Haegy JM Role of metformin accumulation in metformin-associated lactic acidosisDiabetes Care1995 36779784

    Not in our library10.2337/diacare.18.6.779

  36. 36.

    Marinella MA Lactic acidosis associated with propofolChest1996 31292

    Not in our library10.1378/chest.109.1.292

  37. 37.

    Lonergan JT Behling C Pfander H Hassanein TI Mathews WC Hyperlactatemia and hepatic abnormalities in 10 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving nucleoside analogue combination regimensClin Infect Dis2000 31162166

    Not in our library10.1086/313912

  38. 38.

    Claessens YE Cariou A Monchi M Soufir L Azoulay E Rouges P Goldgran-Toledano D Branche F Dhainaut JF Detecting life-threatening lactic acidosis related to nucleoside-analog treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, and treatment with L-carnitineCrit Care Med2003 3410421047

    Not in our library10.1097/01.ccm.0000053649.69377.08

  39. 39.

    Naidoo DP Gathiram V Sadhabiriss A Hassen F Clinical diagnosis of cardiac beriberiS Afr Med J1990 33125127

    Not in our library

  40. 40.

    Morgan TJ Clark C Clague A Artifactual elevation of measured plasma L-lactate concentration in the presence of glycolateCrit Care Med1999 31021772179

    Not in our library10.1097/00003246-199910000-00017

All 74 references

Cited by papers we hold 3

Reads

Read by people on this page

None yet.

Checked or read by AI through naulon

None yet.

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.

Are you an author?

Is this your paper?

Claim it to add your note and be paid when agents cite it. Free.