title: Diagnostic significance of pleural fluid lactate concentration in pleural and pulmonary diseases.
abstract: Pleural fluid samples from 198 patients were analysed in order to evaluate the usefulness of lactate concentration as a diagnostic test for separating infectious from non-infectious processes in the pleural cavity. Pleural fluid lactate was quantified by means of a gas chromatographic method. The highest lactate levels were found in patients with septic pleuritis. Significantly lower values were observed in cases with malignancies. With a cut off value of 10 mmol/l, the predictive value of a positive test was 0.94 and of a negative test 1.0. Because of the high predictive values of the test, measurement of lactate concentration in pleural fluid offers a rapid and useful information in the differentiation between infectious and non-infectious pleural disease.
authors: Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Central Hospital, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Gästrin
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Lövestad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000032:analysis*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid