Lactic Acidosis in Paediatrics: Clinical and Laboratory Evaluation

In humans who are well perfused and oxygenated, the steady state concentration of lactate is between 1-2 mmol/L and does not change appreciably with fasting, feeding or minor medical Illness.' This concentration represents a dynamic equilibrium between lactate production and utilization. In most tissues of the body, ingested carbohydrate is metabolized to pyruvate which then enters the mitochondria where further oxidation via the Krebs cycle takes place (Fig. 1). This process, which is similar for products of