Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2012
Arterial lactate above 2 mM is associated with increased brain lactate and decreased brain glucose in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
Lactate fuels cerebral energy-consuming processes and it is neuroprotective. The impact of arterial lactate on brain metabolism determined by microdialysis was investigated retrospectively in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Increased arterial lactate levels were associated with increased cerebral lactate uptake and elevated brain lactate. At the same time brain glucose uptake and brain glucose were significantly reduced. It remains unclear whether arterial lactate is the driving force for the increased cerebral lactate levels or if the reduced glucose uptake also contributed to the increased cerebral lactate levels. Further studies are required to assess the impact of lactate infusion under clinical conditions.