Contributor: Jared Scott, MD

Educational Pearls:

Lactate is a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism or tissue hypoperfusion
Though typically associated with severe sepsis, hyperlactatemia can be caused by vigorous exercise, seizures, liver failure, asthma exacerbations, albuterol, metformin, antiretroviral drugs, and propofol
Liver failure can lead to an inability to clear lactate, or convert it back to glucose byproducts, instead of an overproduction of lactate
Always remember the other causes of elevated lactic acid besides sepsis but also remember sepsis!

References:

Kraut JA, Madias NE. Lactic acidosis. N Engl J Med. 2014 Dec 11;371(24):2309-19. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1309483. PMID: 25494270.

Wardi G, Brice J, Correia M, Liu D, Self M, Tainter C. Demystifying Lactate in the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Feb;75(2):287-298. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.06.027. Epub 2019 Aug 29. Erratum in: Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Apr;75(4):557. PMID: 31474479.

Summarized by Jackson Roos, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD

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Podcast 608: Another Elevated Lactate?

Emergency Medical Minute

Podcast 608: Another Elevated Lactate?