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The world of pediatrics is still working on catching up to adult literature in terms of lactate utilization and its implications. The study referenced looked at over 1000 children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Lactate levels were collected 2 hours after admission and a mortality risk assessment was calculated within 24 hours of admission (PRISM III). Results showed that the lactate level on admission was significantly associated with mortality after adjustment for age, gender and PRISM III score.
Bottom line: In your critically ill pediatric patient, lactate may be a useful predictor of mortality.
References
Bai Z et al. Effectiveness of predicting in-hospital mortality in critically ill children by assessing blood lactate levels at admission. BMC Pediatrcs 2014; 14:83.