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[Blood lactate levels during fast-track cardiac anesthesia]
Kaoru Koyama1, Shin-ichiro Okuyama, Tatsuya Fukuyama
1Department of Anesthesiology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical School, Kawagoe 350-8550.
Background:
Lactate is a very sensitive marker of outcomes in critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of blood lactate measurement during fast-track cardiac anesthesia.
Methods:
We examined arterial blood lactate levels of 12 patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery under intermittent aortic cross clamping with fast-track cardiac anesthesia. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and fentanyl, and maintained with propofol, fentanyl (total 400-1000 micrograms) and isoflurane. Blood samples were collected from a radical artery catheter.
Results:
At the termination of the extracorporeal circulation, the blood lactate was 10.3 +/- 2.0 (7.4-12.5) mmol.l-1. This value decreased slowly to 1.5 +/- 0.4 mmol.l-1 on the second postoperative day. All patients were extubated within 4 hours after surgery. Vital signs were stable, and no cardiac events occurred perioperatively.
Conclusions:
A continuous decline in blood lactate levels was related to a favorable postoperative course. Further research might be required to prevent transient hyperlactecemia at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass.