Tissue lactic acidosis and ischemic brain damage

Current evidence suggests that the brain has considerable potential to tolerate prolonged periods of complete ischemic anoxia. Moreover, the brain may be less damaged by complete ischemic anoxia than by severe incomplete ischemia. The accumulation of lactic acid in the brain during severe incomplete ischemia approaches three times the levels seen with complete ischemic anoxia, and this phenomenon is implicated in exacerbated biochemical and structural injury.