Hyperlactatemia and Patient Outcomes After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Elevated serum lactate level, or hyperlactatemia, is often associated with alterations in tissue perfusion, increased risk for complications in the postoperative period, and patient mortality. Measuring lactate levels is a relatively simple and noninvasive method of obtaining useful data about an impending clinical deterioration in a seemingly hemodynamically stable patient. This article evaluates the current practice of measuring lactate levels in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery and the association between these levels and patient outcomes. The article addresses periods of increased risk for decreased perfusion, the critical postoperative period, use of lactate measurements in conjunction with a risk scoring system for pre-and postoperative congenital heart disease patients, and the implications of elevated lactate levels in nursing practice.