[Reliability of blood gas analyzers for measuring lactate levels in cerebrospinal fluid]

The lactate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be used to distinguish bacterial meningitis from aseptic meningitis. However, it is usually difficult to promptly measure the lactate levels. There are certain blood gas analyzers that can be used to easily and promptly obtain glucose and lactose data. We ascertained whether the lactate and glucose levels from CSF samples can be analyzed by blood gas analyzers, and we subsequently compared the data obtained with that measured at the laboratory. In this study, we measured the cell counts and the protein, glucose, and lactate levels in 62 CSF samples obtained from 51 patients. Of these 62 samples, lactate and glucose of 17 samples were also measured by a blood gas analyzer. There were no significant differences in the lactate and glucose levels between the data measured at the laboratory and that measured by the blood gas analyzer. In conclusion, we consider that rapid measurement of the lactate and glucose levels in CSF samples by blood gas analyzers can be considerably reliable in clinical practice.