Arterial Lactate in Cardiogenic Shock: Prognostic Value of Clearance Versus Single Values

Georg Fuernau1, Steffen Desch2, Suzanne de Waha-Thiele1

  • 1Medical Clinic II (Cardiology, Angiology, Intensive Care Medicine), University Heart Center Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.

Insights

Lactate levels measured 8 hours after admission (L2) are superior for predicting mortality in cardiogenic shock (CS) compared to initial lactate (L1) or lactate clearance (LC). An L2 level of 3.1 mmol/l is a key indicator for early prognosis in CS patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Intensive Care Medicine
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Early prognosis in cardiogenic shock (CS) is vital for treatment selection.
  • Arterial lactate is a common point-of-care parameter in CS.
  • Lactate clearance (LC) is well-studied in septic shock but not well-established in CS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the predictive value of admission lactate (L1), 8-hour lactate (L2), and lactate clearance (LC) for mortality in CS.
  • To determine if L2 is a superior predictor of mortality compared to L1 and LC.

Main Methods:

  • Subanalysis of the IABP-SHOCK II trial and registry data.
  • Prospective collection of lactate levels (L1 and L2).
  • Assessment of all-cause mortality at 30 days as the primary endpoint.

Main Results:

  • L2 demonstrated superior predictive performance (AUC 0.76) compared to L1 (AUC 0.69) and LC (AUC 0.59).
  • An L2 cutoff of ≥3.1 mmol/l was independently predictive of mortality.
  • L2 and LC were independently predictive in multivariable analysis, with L2 showing higher predictive power.

Conclusions:

  • Arterial lactate measured 8 hours post-admission (L2) is a better predictor of mortality in CS than baseline lactate or LC.
  • An L2 cutoff of 3.1 mmol/l can aid in early prognosis assessment for CS patients.
  • This L2 cutoff may serve as a new therapeutic target in CS management.
Abstract