Lactic acid levels are associated with morbidity, length of stay, and total treatment costs in urban trauma patients with lower extremity long bone fractures

ConclusionHigh initial lactate levels are independently associated with post-operative morbidity as well as higher direct hospitalization costs and longer lengths of stay in orthopedic trauma patients who underwent fixation for fractures of the lower extremity long bones. Ballistic trauma patients had significantly higher lactate levels compared to the blunt cohort, and lactate was not independently associated with increased rates of post-operative morbidity in the ballistic cohort alone.Level of evidenceIII.
Source: European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research