Excess Lactate: An Index of Reversibility of Shock in Human Patients

"Excess lactate," an indicator of oxygen debt, has been studied as a metabolic index of severity of the shock state in human patients. The levels of excess lactate correspond to severity of circulatory failure, and an excess of more than 4 millimoles per liter prognosticates a fatal outcome. The validity of this index was confirmed by studies on experimental hemorrhagic shock in dogs. It provides a parameter for measurement of "reversibility" and serves as an objective clinical guide.