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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Cardiac Loading using Passive Left Atrial Pressurization and Passive Afterload for Graft Assessment
Published on: August 2, 2024
Lactate concentration gradient from right atrium to pulmonary artery: a commentary
1Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. jcreteur@ulb.ac.be
Abstract:
Inadequate myocardial performance is a common complication of severe sepsis. Studies in humans strongly argue against a decrease in coronary blood flow in the pathogenesis of this sepsis-induced cardiac injury. Moreover, regional myocardial ischemia may well be present in sepsis patients with coexistent coronary artery disease. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia remains difficult in patients with sepsis, since elevation of troponin in these patients can be the result of a variety of conditions other than acute myocardial ischemia. The use of the right atrium to pulmonary artery lactate gradient could perhaps help the clinician in detecting myocardial ischemia in patients with sepsis.
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