Abstract Background Lactate measurement is central to the assessment of metabolic disorders, haemodynamic perfusion, and in patients suspected of sepsis where markedly elevated lactate values are associated with poor outcomes and with increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, rapid measurement of lactate levels is essential for rapid assessment and management of critically ill patients. Laboratory based assays are often delayed up to one hour compared with rapid point of care (POCT) based measurements. This study validated the introduction of POCT-based lactate measurement. Methods This study compared and validated lactate levels obtained using POCT- based assay namely ABL-90 (Radiometer America, California, USA), and laboratory-based (Alinity, Abbott Laboratories, USA) assay. Patients’ samples (n=20) with lactate values ranging from 0.8 to 4.8 mmol/L were used in the validation study. Results Although there was good correlation between lactate values obtained by the POCT ABL-90 and the laboratory based Alinity instruments (r 0.988), a mean positive bias of 0.39 mmol/L was observed by the laboratory-based assay. Correlation and bias were within acceptable limits for the laboratory. Lactate measurement was added to the POCT ABL-90 (n=21) instruments scattered across critical care areas of the hospital offering pH, blood gas (pCO2 and pO2), co-oximetry, and electrolytes. Conclusion Introduction of point of care-based lactate measurement provided lactate results within 10 minutes of request compared to the laboratory-based 45 minutes from sample receipt. ABL-90 POCT assays was introduced as performance characteristics (correlation and agreement) were acceptable. This is important as subsequent lactate values are often laboratory based and are compared with the initial POCT- based values.
Hashim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.