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Updated: May 9, 2026
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Measurement of Myocardial Lactate Production for Diagnosis of Coronary Microvascular Spasm
Published on: September 17, 2021
Capillary lactic acid validation in an ED.
Leandro Seoane1, Marcelo Papasidero, Paula De Sanctis
1Department of Emergency, Hospital Universitario Austral.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine
|August 3, 2013
Summary
Measuring lactic acid (LA) in capillary and venous blood effectively evaluates patients with tissue hypoperfusion. Capillary LA testing is significantly faster than arterial or venous methods, aiding rapid risk stratification.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Chemistry
- Critical Care Medicine
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Lactic acid (LA) measurement is crucial for assessing patients at high risk of poor treatment response.
- Tissue hypoperfusion necessitates reliable diagnostic methods for risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the sensitivity and specificity of capillary and venous lactic acid (LA) tests against arterial LA tests.
- To evaluate the time efficiency of capillary, venous, and arterial LA testing in patients with tissue hypoperfusion.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated performance of venous and capillary LA relative to arterial LA.
- Assessed time from patient admission to LA result acquisition for each method.
- Correlated initial LA levels with patient mortality within 3, 30, and 60 days.
Main Results:
- Capillary LA demonstrated an area under the curve of 82% (95% CI, 73-91).
- Optimal capillary LA cutoff at 2.35 yielded 81% sensitivity and 70% specificity.
- Capillary LA results were obtained significantly faster (77 minutes) compared to arterial (112 minutes) and venous (117 minutes) methods.
Conclusions:
- Capillary and venous LA measurements are effective for evaluating and risk-stratifying patients with tissue hypoperfusion.
- Capillary LA testing offers a substantial time advantage over arterial and venous methods.
