Arterial and Central Venous Lactate Values Are Interchangeable

Elevated arterial and central venous lactate concentrations are associated with increased mortality; however, some studies have shown poor agreement between these two types of lactate values. Researchers in France retrospectively compared 673 central venous lactate (Lact_cv) and arterial lactate (Lact_a) pairs obtained within 30 minutes of each other from 188 intensive care unit (ICU) patients (mean age, 65 years; 68% male) with circulatory or respiratory failure. Lact_cv and Lact_a clearance were calculated for 171 lactate pairs drawn within 4 to 6 hours of the initial sample. All samples were analyzed within 3 minutes. Lactate pairs from patients with >10% difference in arterial and venous sodium concentrations were excluded from analysis.

The…