Review of the clinical use of lactate.

Abstract

Lactate, a simple laboratory blood test, has been shown to be an extremely useful indicator of survival in human and equine intensive care patients. Rejuvenation in the clinical use of lactate analysis has occurred in recent years. Despite this renaissance, practitioners often struggle with integrating lactate measurement into the clinical setting. This review shows the etiology of lactate, how to measure it, interpretation of results, and implication to critical patients. Authors’ address: Equine Medical Center of Ocala, 7107 West Highway 326, Ocala, FL 34482; e-mail: [e-mail] (Franklin). © 2006 AAEP.