Acidosis and severe megaloblastic anaemia

Ten patients with severe megaloblastic anaemia were studied to investigate whether the causative metabolic defects might predispose them to lactic or other acidosis. One patient had compensated acidosis with hyperlactataemia before treatment but there were obvious causes other than anaemia. No other patient developed an acidosis. Neither anaemia per se nor the metabolic defects of vitamin B(12) or folic acid deficiency are likely to cause clinically significant lactic acidosis or hyperlactataemia.