title: Quantitative analysis of high plasma lactate concentration in ED patients after alcohol intake.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasma lactate concentration is known to increase after alcohol intake. However, this increase has rarely been analyzed quantitatively in emergency department (ED) settings. Evaluating plasma lactate elevation in ED patients after alcohol intake is important because it can affect patients' evaluation based on the plasma lactate level.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study analyzed venous lactate concentrations of 196 continuous patients presented to our ED after alcohol intake. The control group comprised 219 successive ED patients without alcohol intake. Patients who had conditions that might induce lactate elevation were excluded from both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Venous lactate concentration was significantly higher in the alcohol intake group (2.83 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, 2.69-2.96 mmol/L) than in the control group (1.65 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-1.77 mmol/L; P<.05). Lactate concentrations exceeding 3 mmol/L and exceeding 4 mmol/L were found, respectively, in 41.8% and 12.2% of the alcohol intake group compared with in 8.7% and 2.3% of the control group (P<.05). Lactate concentrations do not correlate with patients' level of consciousness. Therefore, a higher plasma ethanol level is apparently unrelated to elevated lactate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analyses show that plasma lactate concentration is significantly higher in ED patients after alcohol intake and to a greater degree than previously reported, even in patients without previously known alcohol-related diseases. Emergency department physicians must be careful when interpreting the lactate level of the patients with alcohol intake.
authors.affiliation: The University of Tokyo Hospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Department, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: sonot-icu@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sonoo
authors.affiliation: The University of Tokyo Hospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Department, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.affiliation: The University of Tokyo Hospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Department, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
authors.affiliation: The University of Tokyo Hospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Department, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gunshin
authors.affiliation: The University of Tokyo Hospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Department, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: The University of Tokyo Hospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Department, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yahagi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019344:Lactic Acid