Hyperlactatemia in ICU patients: Incidence, causes and associated mortality

To describe the incidence, causes and associated mortality of hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients and to evaluate the association between lactate clearance and in-hospital survival. Retrospective cohort study of patients with hyperlactatemia admitted to the ICU. Hyperlactatemia was defined as a blood lactate concentration ≥5mmol/L and high-grade hyperlactatemia a lactate level ≥10mmol/L. Lactate clearance was calculated as the percentage of decrease in lactate concentration from the peak value. Of 10,123 patients, 1373 (13.6%) had lactate concentration ≥5mmol/L, and 434(31.6%) of them had ≥10mmol/L. The most common causes of hyperlactatemia were sepsis/septic shock and post-cardiac surgery. An association was found between lactate concentration and in-hospital mortality (p