[Regional blood lactate level in arterial occlusive diseases]

Fifty-seven patients with obliterating diseases of the lower limb arteries were examined. The concentration of lactate in the venous blood and the venous-arterial difference in the blood lactate level in the affected limb were found to be increased. A relationship between the marked character of these shifts and the severity of the ischemic syndrome was noted. The authors discuss the possibility of using the values of the lactate content in the regional blood as criteria for evaluating the efficacy of treatment and the prognosis of obliterating diseases of the lower limb arteries.