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Published in: Intensive Care Medicine 8/2003

01-08-2003 | Original

Relationship between injury severity and lactate levels in severely injured patients

Authors: Ognjen Cerović, Vesna Golubović, Ana Špec-Marn, Boriana Kremžar, Gaj Vidmar

Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 8/2003

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Abstract

Objective

To determine the correlation of blood concentration of lactate and severity of injury and survival in severely injured patients.

Design and setting

A prospective study of severely injured patients admitted directly from an emergency surgical unit to a surgical intensive care unit with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 16 points or more. The study was conducted over 30 months.

Patients

98 severely injured subjects aged between 16 and 82 years with ISS range from 16 to 75 points, overall 25.5% mortality.

Interventions

Blood lactate concentrations were measured once on admission, twice daily during the first 2 days and once daily during the next 3 days. ISS, Revised Trauma Score, Shock Index, and Trauma and Injury Severity Score were calculated for each subject.

Measurements and results

Of 98 severely injured patients 91 had elevated blood lactate concentration (over 2.0 mmol/l). Regression analyses demonstrated that injury severity, as measured by ISS, can be predicted from lactate concentration on admission, while survival, either actual or predicted by Trauma and Injury Severity Score higher than 0.5, can be predicted from lactate concentration after 12 h. We also found that patients with Shock Index higher than 0.9 had significantly higher lactate levels during the first 36 h than those with values less than 0.9.

Conclusions

This study confirmed the relationship between blood lactate levels and injury severity as well as the prognostic value of blood lactate level for survival of severely injured patients.
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Metadata
Title
Relationship between injury severity and lactate levels in severely injured patients
Authors
Ognjen Cerović
Vesna Golubović
Ana Špec-Marn
Boriana Kremžar
Gaj Vidmar
Publication date
01-08-2003
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Intensive Care Medicine / Issue 8/2003
Print ISSN: 0342-4642
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1238
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-1753-8

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