title: [The anion gap--screening for hyperlactatemia in critically ill children?].
abstract: Serum lactate provides important information about tissue perfusion in critically ill patients. Aim of this study is to evaluate anion gap as a screening method to detect hyperlactatemia at a pediatric intensive care unit. In infants and children of different ages and diagnosis we determined blood gases, electrolytes and lactate. Sensitivity of anion gap was increasing with increasing hyperlactatemia. For the total population the test exhibited a sensitivity of 64% and a specificity of 76%, respectively. The power of anion gap as a screening method to detect hyperlactatemia was similarly fair for all age groups. Therefore hyperlactatemia has also to be included in the differential diagnosis of non-anion gap metabolic acidosis.
authors.affiliation: Kinderintensivstation, Universitäts-Kinderklinik, Wien.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aufricht
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ties
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hartl
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lothaller
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simbruner
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium / Q000502:physiology*; D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid
vernacular_title: Anionenlücke--ein Screening auf Hyperlaktatämie bei kritisch kranken Kindern?