Cross-correlation analysis of blood and microdialysis-assessed tissue lactate monitoring: a study in critically ill septic patients

In the critical care setting, blood lactate (BL) concentration is measured to assess - albeit indirectly - tissue oxygenation. In addition, serial BL measurements are clinically useful since a drop in BL is a good prognostic finding, whereas persistent BL elevation portends poor outcome. Microdialysis (MD) enables direct monitoring of tissue metabolic changes. This study aimed to describe the dynamics of MD-assessed tissue lactate (TL) vis-a-vis BL in septic patients with and without shock.