Lactate clearance predicts outcome after major trauma

To determine a correlation between lactate clearance within 48 h and survival in trauma patients at a Level I trauma centre in a developing country and compare to previous international lactate clearance studies. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of a prospectively collected database at a Level I trauma centre from March 2007 to November 2010. Patients of all ages were included. Metabolic parameters from initial arterial blood gas were measured in all patients, an abnormal lactate being defined as >2.5 mmol/L. A subgroup analysis of blunt versus penetrating injury was performed. Results: Of the 657 patients in the database, 493 had complete lactate data. The survival rate of patients with lactate values