Blood Lactate And Lactate Clearance: Refined Biomarker And Prognostic Marker In Burn Resuscitation

Adequate resuscitation of acute burn patients is important to ensure end organ perfusion and oxygenation. The ideal marker to the endpoint of burn resuscitation is still not established. We aimed to evaluate the role of blood lactate and lactate clearance in burn resuscitation and their association with mortality and sepsis in burn patients. The retrospective study included patients (18-50 years) with thermal and scald burns with total body surface area of 30% to 60% over a period of 9 months who had achieved target urine output of at least 0.5ml/kg/hr within 24 hours of resuscitation. Patients were divided based on their admission blood lactate levels (Group A < 2 mmol/L and Group B > 2 mmol/L). Group B was further subdivided into Group B1 in whom blood lactate levels reached less than 2 mmol/L within 24 hours of burn resuscitation and Group B2 in whom it did not. Total patients included were 203. Mortality (M) and sepsis (S) rates in subgroup B2 were higher (M=57.9%; S=43.5%) and rates in subgroup B1 (M=25.8%; S=27.4%) were comparable to Group A (M=27.8%; S=26.4%). Persistent lactic acidosis at 24 hours was independently associated with significantly increased mortality and sepsis. Our data suggests a correlation of blood lactate levels and lactate clearance within 24 hours of admission with mortality and sepsis related to burn injury.