title: Evaluation of point-of-care maternal venous lactate testing in normal pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is little information about whether the established non-pregnant adult venous lactate reference range is appropriate for pregnancy. This prospective observational study examined whether the non-pregnant adult reference range is appropriate during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women attending for routine prenatal appointments or elective cesarean delivery in a tertiary hospital were recruited. Clinical details were recorded and venous lactate concentration was measured using a point-of-care (POC) device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 246 women, 199 were 6-18 weeks' gestation and 47 were 36-42 weeks' gestation. Mean lactate concentration was within the non-pregnant reference range in early and late pregnancy (0.86 SD ± 0.46 mmol/L and 1.15 SD ± 0.40 mmol/L, respectively). The mean time between phlebotomy and result was 6.1 SD ± 1.7 min. There was no correlation between lactate levels and either maternal age or time interval from tourniquet placement to lactate measurement. In women of 6-18 weeks' gestation positive bivariate relationships were found between lactate and BMI (p = 0.03, r = 0.158), earlier gestational age (p = 0.04, r = -0.145), and smoking (p = 0.01, r = 0.183), but these were not found in late pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The venous lactate reference range for the non-pregnant adult may be applied in pregnancy. Further studies should examine lactate dynamics in labor and postpartum.
authors.affiliation: a UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland and.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.affiliation: b Department of Perioperative Medicine , Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland.
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finlay
authors.affiliation: a UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland and.
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: a UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland and.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.affiliation: a UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland and.
authors.forename: Muireann Ní
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mhurchú
authors.affiliation: a UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland and.
authors.forename: Sharon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.affiliation: b Department of Perioperative Medicine , Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fanning
authors.affiliation: a UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland and.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014680:Veins; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: Critical illness; maternal medicine; obstetric physiology