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The Value of Blood Lactate Monitoring in Clinical Practice

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Tissue Oxygen Utilization

Part of the book series: Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine ((UICM,volume 12))

Abstract

Acute circulatory failure most commonly occurs when oxygen supply to the cells is acutely reduced. It is however increasingly recognized that it can occur when oxygen supply is normal or even high. In conditions associated with sepsis, trauma, extended surgery or other inflammatory states, the oxygen demand can be elevated above the oxygen supply. An alteration of the oxygen extraction capabilities by the tissues can limit the increase in oxygen consumption which is required in these conditions. Thus, the interpretation of measurements of mixed venous PO2 or SO2 can have serious limitations in these complex circumstances. Measurements of blood lactate can help to recognize the presence of tissue hypoxia associated with acute circulatory failure and also to monitor the effects of therapy.

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Authors
  1. J. L. Vincent
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pulmonary Medicine, Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin, Suite 1274, 77030, Houston, TX, USA

    Guillermo Gutierrez

  2. Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Route de Lennik 808, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean Louis Vincent (Clinical Director) (Clinical Director)

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Vincent, J.L. (1991). The Value of Blood Lactate Monitoring in Clinical Practice. In: Gutierrez, G., Vincent, J.L. (eds) Tissue Oxygen Utilization. Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, vol 12. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84169-9_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84169-9_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-52472-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-84169-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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